"Dr. Fueguchi, we're Ghoul Investigators. Would you mind if we asked you a few questions?"
Mado Kureo asked politely, his face displaying an almost "harmonious kindness."
But beneath his white doctor's coat, Dr. Fueguchi's hands subtly clenched.
Though inwardly overwhelmed with anxiety, he forced a calm smile.
"Of course. Could you make it quick, though? I have patients waiting for treatment."
Uesugi Ryu glanced inside. The clinic was small, but the walls were decorated with colorful children's drawings, bringing a sense of warmth to the otherwise simple space.
An elderly woman with snow-white hair sat on a bench, peering curiously at them.
"If Dr. Fueguchi has something urgent, he should see to it first. My condition isn't serious," she said kindly, then gave a raspy cough.
Mado touched his chin, a trace of apology on his face.
"We're terribly sorry. But I'll still have to ask this lady to step outside for now."
He turned to Amon Koutarou and gestured with his eyes.
"Amon, please escort her out."
Amon nodded, then gently helped the elderly woman leave the examination room.
Once they were gone, Mado waved Uesugi Ryu over.
Ryu took out a long-handled clamp from a bag and held it out before Dr. Fueguchi.
"This tool was found at a crime scene. It appears to be a kind of medical instrument. Dr. Fueguchi, do you recognize it?"
The moment Dr. Fueguchi laid eyes on the tool, something he had personally crafted for Yamori, his pupils shrank involuntarily.
His hands, which had been resting calmly in his coat pockets, began to tremble ever so slightly.
He shook his head, feigning ignorance.
"I've never seen such a strange tool before."
But his forced composure did not escape Mado's sharp gaze.
The faint smile at the corner of Mado's lips gradually widened into a sinister arc, enough to make one's skin crawl.
Then, in a deliberately slow yet oppressive tone, he said:
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Then perhaps I should rephrase the question. Do you know someone who goes by the name... Jason?"
At that name, Dr. Fueguchi felt a chill run down his spine. Beads of cold sweat instantly dotted his forehead.
He knew, clearly and undeniably, that this Investigator across from him had already seen through his facade.
His voice trembled.
"Yes, I know him. That tool... I made it for him. You're trying to catch him, right? I can help you.."
"Thank you for your cooperation. It is much appreciated," Mado replied with a calm, composed tone, as if he hadn't just outed a ghoul.
"Ryu, let's go."
Uesugi Ryu nodded before the two of them picked up their Quinques and exited the examination room.
Dr. Fueguchi finally let out a deep sigh of relief, though his face was heavy with worry.
He was now trapped between two impossible choices.
Even if his identity wasn't exposed now, an RC level test would reveal everything.
It was only a matter of time.
Outside, the Investigators had already installed a series of surveillance cameras around the clinic.
After confirming everything was in place, the three men returned to the nearby surveillance van parked on the street.
Inside, a large monitor dominated the front wall. The surrounding camera feeds showed live footage from every corner of the clinic's vicinity in sharp clarity.
As a First-Class Investigator, Mado didn't need to manage these logistical tasks himself.
Subordinates such as Kusaba Ippei and Nakajima were on screen duty, greeting the team as they entered.
"Now we wait," Mado said as he lounged back on the sofa.
Uesugi Ryu harbored a minor sense of sympathy for Dr. Fueguchi, but it wasn't enough to make him risk his own interests to save a ghoul.
He just hoped the man would have enough sense to run the moment things got messy.
That was the most mercy Ryu was willing to offer.
"I met your daughter the other day, Mado-san. Seems she shares your enthusiasm for Quinques," Ryu commented, setting his Quinque case down and slumping into a nearby chair.
"His daughter?" Amon asked, visibly surprised, looking at Mado. He had never once heard the man mention having a daughter.
"Akira," Mado replied flatly. "You probably met her while picking up your Quinque."
His tone was calm, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. He knew all too well how cold and hard to handle his daughter could be.
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, he quickly turned his gaze back to the monitors.
Amon, still curious, decided not to push further.
After a short silence, Uesugi Ryu suddenly spoke again: "Mado-san, would you allow me to take the lead in this extermination?"
After all, being the backline guy every day wasn't exactly glorious, and Ryu, as a young man, felt he should reflect and act more responsibly once in a while.
Also, this would keep Mado from having his Quinque destroyed upon first contact, just like in the original timeline.
Mado glanced at Ryu, then nodded seriously.
"I understand. But your safety comes first. Don't forget, an S-rated ghoul isn't something to underestimate. Even I don't have a 100% guarantee of victory."
Ryu nodded solemnly in agreement.
It had to be said, Yamori was indeed far stronger than your average S-rated ghoul.
If he ever fully mastered his half-kakuja form, his combat power might reach the terrifying level of SS.
But therein lay the paradox.
Jason could never truly master that state.
His extended torture under Tokage Goumasa had left his mind irreparably broken.
Delusions, trauma, and violent psychosis were merely the surface symptoms.
The half-kakuja form was inherently maddening, prone to driving ghouls berserk.
When Jason entered that state, it was just as likely to weaken him as it was to make him stronger, turning his berserk condition into a liability.
That was precisely why Ryu had the "Destroyer" built, to counter Jason's kakuja with raw, overwhelming firepower.
Jason was a half-kakuja with three kakuhou.
From his behavior in the original timeline, the two additional kagune likely came from koukaku and rinkaku types.
With a koukaku's extreme defense, even Ryu's Sakikage might not be enough and that's when the Destroyer would shine.
This was one of the main reasons Ryu deliberately deviated from convention.
Otherwise, Jason would be an insurmountable obstacle.
Suddenly, Kusaba Ippei's anxious voice cut through the air. He adjusted his glasses and shouted:
"First-Class Mado! The target has appeared!"
On the screen, a tall figure clad in an immaculate white suit entered the frame.