"Ghoul."
The Tokyo night was deep. The streets were desolate, traffic sparse, and the few pedestrians hurried along.
In a dark alley, the crisp sound of high heels striking the cement echoed.
Next came the chaotic noises of water being splashed, trash and debris being trampled, and a bestial cacophony—dog-like snarls, heavy thuds, gunshots, wet squelches of torn flesh, and the clash of metal.
Bang!
A heavy collision.
It was followed by the faint, anguished wail of something almost—but not quite—human.
"Satou! Damn it, you doves, do you want full-blown war with us?!" a furious growl came. "Do you even know what you're doing?! If you break the 14th Ward's balance and we start a massacre, CCG won't get off easy eith... guh!"
"What am I doing? Killing ghouls. Executing justice, that's all."
Lifting her eyes, Vela shot a sidelong glance at the ghoul—likely one who had just lost his partner. Her deep indigo irises were as calm as a still lake. She raised her hand and fired.
Her left hand had transformed into a short-barreled firearm, a glowing shell of pale-pink bio-metal wrapped around her wrist like a living weapon. The muzzle's flash burned through the alley's gloom.
A blood-red Kagune drill projectile burst out, piercing through the ghoul's gaping mouth, shredding his jaw and tongue, and detonating in his skull. Bang—blood sprayed everywhere.
I'm a kind person. I just can't stand you being separated from your beloved.
The ghoul's predatory organ, formed by proliferating Rc cells, twitched weakly as it hit the cement.
Vela murmured lightly, "A-rank. Rinkaku type."
"Die!"
With a roar, another ghoul—seemingly a leader—lunged out, hurling the corpse of his fallen comrade at Vela.
With a sickening squelch, his scapula area burst open, and his Kagune flared—a thick, dark-blue mass like bundled rebar shot forth, forming a Bikaku-type spear.
Vela shattered the incoming corpse with several shots, then fired again—two bullets striking another charging ghoul and blasting apart the Kagune growing from his tailbone.
"A-rank. Ukaku type," she assessed, instinctively dodging the flying blood.
Her blue eyes lit up.
This one... Koukaku.
A Kagune located under the shoulder blades, it manifested as a metallic shell formed from highly condensed Rc cells. Its hardness and defense were formidable—but it lacked speed and agility.
It was Vela's preferred Kagune type for Quinque crafting.
"Not bad. An unregistered S+-rank Koukaku," she remarked.
Infuriated by her disdainful tone, the Koukaku ghoul reached up and ripped an air-conditioning unit off a nearby wall, hurling it at the leisurely, spear-wielding blond dove.
Shhh—
A hiss, like a pressure valve releasing. The silver suitcase in Vela's other hand opened automatically.
A jet-black spear tinged with violet light shot out—bang!—piercing the AC unit midair. In the blink of an eye, the dark Kagune lance slammed through the mangled machinery and metal shards, aiming straight at Vela's forehead.
"Now!" the ghoul shouted.
A female ghoul, her arm blown off in an earlier blast, gritted her teeth and deployed her Ukaku. Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Crystal-like shards shot forth like blood-colored spikes, trying to pin Vela down.
But—thump—a brief stall.
He saw it clearly: the Quinque spear's shaft morphed mid-air, forming a spiral-shaped barrier that blocked the Ukaku assault. At the same time, the tip of the spear unfolded like flower petals, catching the air-conditioning wreckage.
Its claw-like grip locked onto his Koukaku.
Just a moment of hesitation—more than enough for Vela to reposition.
Boom! The ghoul's fully extended Koukaku slammed into the ground. First came the cracking of cement...
Then—BOOM!!
An even louder explosion.
Vela stomped down on the massive Koukaku-like azure-black spear. The sheer force shocked the ghoul, overwhelming his shoulders, spine, and knees. He screamed in pain and collapsed to his knees.
"This kind of strength... impossible..."
His right arm, wrapped in Kagune, was forcibly torn from his body. The joint dislocated, and the skin and flesh stretched like rubber bands, literally splitting open.
"Hmm, good form, structure, and quality. As expected of the 14th Ward, known for cannibalism. Excellent Kagune quality."
It was as if she weren't talking to a sentient being, but merely evaluating organs. That clinical tone sent a chill straight up the Koukaku ghoul's spine.
"You... you're not human..."
Crack.
A segment of the Quinque's spearhead detached from its position in the cement and, with movements as casual as slicing steak, Vela lopped off both of the ghoul's shoulder joints and Kakuhou with two swift cuts. Thud. The blue-black Koukaku hit the ground, ringing like metal.
"If I'm not human... then what about you?"
She slit his throat, then—treating him like garbage—flung his mangled upper torso aside with a single swipe.
He flew seven or eight meters, crashed into a metal dumpster, clanged about, flipped once in midair, and landed with a wet smack as blood seeped out.
It all happened in a flash.
From the perspective of the Ukaku ghoul trying to provide cover, all she saw in mere seconds was her boss leaping forward, smashing down, a few screams, and then his broken body with severed shoulders being tossed aside, nearly lifeless.
"Damn it! Where the hell is Aogiri Tree?!"
She was gnawing on a comrade's remains, trying to restore stamina. Now panicked, she stopped firing her shards, spread her wings to their limit, and with a fiery blood-like mist, shot into the air, leaving her still-breathing comrades behind.
"Bitch!"
"You trai—"
Before the curses could finish—bang! bang bang!
Each shot silenced a target. Flesh exploded under Vela's shots. She lowered her left-handed cannon Quinque, retracted the spearhead back into the core of her spiral-shaped defensive spear—click—its segments folded back into a single black-and-purple-patterned knight lance.
With a swift backhand, the sharp tip sliced clean through the head of a ghoul who'd feigned death and attempted a sudden attack.
Vela's gaze locked onto the female Ukaku ghoul gliding forty meters away, just about to disappear into a half-constructed building.
"S-rank. Ukaku type."
Holding the Quinque like a javelin, its shaft elongated, its spiral tip extended. Vela stepped forward with her left foot, aimed, measured the distance, rotated her torso, and threw.
All in one fluid motion.
Whoosh!
It tore through the air.
"From that far?! No—AHH—!"
A scream.
The lance, black with purple spirals, pierced her back clean through to her lungs, then burst out of her chest.
She plummeted from mid-air.
Clang!
Falling from over ten meters, she crashed onto a pile of building materials. Rebar scattered, cement dust filled the air.
Click clack.
Unhurried, Vela walked over and shot each ghoul corpse in the head.
Along the way, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
[110]
(Note: Japan's emergency number for incidents and accidents is also 110)
"14th Ward, Nakano District. Ghoul incident. Location..."
After reporting the location, Vela started walking toward the construction site.
At the entrance, she suddenly halted.
"Oh? You vermin who fear the light—since you're already here, why keep hiding?"
Silence followed.
A group of hooded figures in black cloaks emerged from the darkened stairwell, their faces hidden behind masks, eerie cackling echoing around them.
They didn't look like decent people at all.
"Aogiri Tree."
Vela raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Why aren't you staying in your 24th Ward 'Goblin Nest'? Coming all the way to the 14th Ward—expanding, are we? So those cannibalistic petty thugs were your new recruits... No wonder the Commission of Counter Ghoul in Japan has been having so many issues. The global ghoul crisis has been suppressed to a lull, yet Tokyo remains riddled with incidents."
That condescending tone, looking down from on high.
"Baka! Just one dove, alone and with half her Quinque gone, and still this arrogant?!"
Several hot-headed Aogiri Tree ghouls couldn't hold back anymore. Rip!—Koukaku, Rinkaku, Bikaku—grotesque, multicolored predatory organs burst forth, filling Vela's field of view.
She held her Quinque hand cannon calmly, lips curling into the faintest of smiles.
Perfect—fresh materials delivered right to the door.
"Black Rabbit and Big Gecko told us to pick up the new recruits, and this woman slaughtered them all. As long as we kill her, we'll pass the mission for sure! Even if she's a Special-Class, without her close-combat Quinque and after all this fighting, she's bound to be worn down—go!"
"Don't let her reclaim her melee Quinque!"
A horde of ghouls howled and pounced.
Right then—
Clang!—
Mid-charge, they abruptly saw it.
Several palm-sized objects had sailed over the unfinished doorframe and landed right in front of them.
Hiss!
A burst of white fog erupted and filled half the building in an instant.
"What is this..."
The leading Aogiri Tree ghoul inhaled deeply—then his face changed.
"No—!"
He stared in horror as his Kagune began to dissolve, his entire body going limp. His back and waist ached, his head spun—his Rc cells had been suppressed. And in that fleeting moment of disorientation—where was the woman?
"What the hell is this stuff?!"
"My strength, my power, my Pawaaaa—"
The weaker ghouls began staggering. Some realized what was happening and tried to flee the mist's range, but it was already too late!
Thunk!
With a soft crack and a broken tile, the tall figure in the white dove uniform launched from the ground.
A dull thud as flesh slammed into concrete.
Thump! The Aogiri Tree leader's back struck the wall hard. The wall cracked, spraying debris.
"Ugh!" It felt like he'd been hit by a car. His suppressed Rc cells left him helpless. He coughed up blood and meat.
"You think I wouldn't notice you watching me? That I'd make such a rookie mistake? Why do you think I threw my Quinque away? It was bait—to lure you in... Too bad. Aogiri Tree only sent grunts. No SS-rank officers bit. What a shame..."
Vela's voice floated out coldly.
"You..." The stunned ghoul leader stammered. "Despicable!" he cursed.
She didn't even look at him.
"S-rank. Rinkaku. Acceptable."
She raised her short-barreled hand cannon and fired once.
His mask shattered. His skull blew open. Brain matter and pink gore sprayed out—no chance of survival.
Some ghouls tried to flee, but their Kagune tentacles were brittle like reeds—Vela shattered them effortlessly.
One forced a Ukaku attack. She tilted her head slightly—too slow, too weak. With their Rc cells suppressed, these ghouls' physical stats had plummeted.
Soon—Bang! Bang bang bang!
Rc cells: a special type of cell found in ghouls. Their activity is maintained by consuming human flesh. They are the source of the ghouls' superhuman abilities.
CRc gas—developed under a CCG project—had a suppressive effect on Kagune formation and Rc cell activity. Vela had slightly improved it, increasing its dosage. This was its first use—and it was clearly effective.
Against weakened ghouls, Vela didn't bother with finesse. One by one, she pierced them through, sending chunks of flesh and broken limbs flying.
When the CRc mist cleared, the floor was littered with shredded flesh and scraps of cloth. Over a dozen ghouls lay dead, their headless bodies staining the walls and ground with gore and brain matter.
"One and a half minutes. That's about right."
Vela looked down to inspect her outfit. Still largely clean.
Dust and rubble were unavoidable—but at least she wasn't soaked in blood.
Then—Woo-woo~
Police cars howled up to the gate of the sheet-metal-walled construction site at full speed. Tires screeched, leaving black skid marks. Officers in uniform and plainclothes detectives, alongside CCG investigators in coats, rushed out and stormed toward the third floor where Vela was.
The moment they entered—"Ugh—!"
The CCG investigators remained composed, having long since grown numb to scenes of ghoul carnage. But the night-shift cops' expressions changed drastically—their SAN thresholds were much lower. Many gagged or vomited.
"Rank-1 Investigator Russell!"
A sharply dressed woman stepped forward from the CCG investigators. She wore a pencil skirt and heels, her golden hair tied up, eyes sharp.
She glanced around the gruesome room, repressing her discomfort. "You've gone too far again. This is just personal heroism..."
"Oh, it's you, Mado. I know what I'm doing. And aren't your 14th Ward colleagues stationed and patrolling nearby?"
"Still... I'm your adjutant. You should've brought me."
"You're too weak. For now, just be a good administrative officer."
"!!!"
"Enough with that look. Harsh truths are hard to hear, but useful. Unless you're partnered with Special-Class investigators, most of you just slow me down. And I'm not the type to let subordinates die while I stand by."
With that, Vela gestured for the 14th Ward CCG team and police to secure the scene. She pointed to the alleyway—ordering the proper collection of the Kakuhou.
Then, she walked toward the female Ukaku ghoul who'd been impaled by her javelin.
Cough, cough...
Covered in dust, blood trickling from her mouth and nose, the ghoul lay dying. Pierced through the spine by a black-and-purple lance and dropped from high above, she now barely clung to life.
Seeing Vela approach, she rasped, "Why..."
"Why what?"
Vela raised an eyebrow.
"You say you're executing justice... but why... when we were oppressed, starving, unable to eat human food... when we didn't even know what cake tasted like... why didn't you help us? Where was our justice..."
Step. Step.
Mado, Vela's subordinate, walked up behind her. Her expression was complex—sympathetic brows, yet eyes filled with bitter hatred.
She looked at Vela, as if waiting for her response.
"You were unlucky."
That was Vela's answer.
A tragic past? Dead parents? A sad childhood? Maybe there's something that can heal that.
Sure—go heal. But you're a ghoul. You've killed and eaten humans. I'm an enforcer of the law. So, in your next life, remember to be born human.
"Goodbye."
Vela pulled out the spear Quinque. Raised it. Bang!
Squelch—!
This time, she didn't dodge the blood spray.
"Tch. Got my coat dirty..."
After a few steps, she sighed and tugged at the blood-stained hem of her pure white coat.