The golden dusk light bathed the vast cemetery in silence. Most of the CCG investigators who had died in the line of duty were buried here.
Battles against ghouls were unimaginably dangerous, and oftentimes, the so-called "graves" were nothing more than Cenotaphs, symbolic tombstones with no body beneath.
One row after another of modest gravestones stood on the soft green grass, forming quiet ranks.
With time, the cemetery had grown larger and larger, and more investigators had been laid to rest within its boundaries.
Mado Akira walked ahead, with Uesugi Ryu following a step behind. She carried a bouquet of pale yellow flowers in her hands.
When they arrived at one of the gravestones, she knelt gracefully, gently brushing away the accumulated dust, and placed the bouquet beneath it.
Mado Kureo rarely visited this place, to him, coming here only served to stir up painful memories. Most of the time, Akira handled the offerings and rituals on his behalf.
For Mado Kureo, the only thing that could fill the emptiness in his heart was continuing to exterminate ghouls.
If he ever came here, it was either to mourn his wife with the blood of his enemies, or to be buried beside her after falling on the path of vengeance.
There was no third reason for his presence.
A gentle breeze swept through the cemetery, lifting strands of Uesugi Ryu's tousled black hair into the wind.
After a brief silence, he finally asked,
"Was there something you needed to say here, specifically?"
Akira tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, still facing the grave.
She spoke softly but firmly, "I was just curious... why are you doing this?
Aren't you afraid? Facing the One-Eyed Owl?"
"An investigator doesn't need a reason to exterminate ghouls," Ryu replied flatly.
"And as for being afraid... no, I'm not."
He added after a pause, "You should stay in the 20th Ward, Akira. It's just a hypothesis, nothing more. There's need to treat it too seriously."
"Don't give me that grand, self-righteous excuse," Akira turned her head and looked directly at Ryu.
Her usual indifferent, dead-fish gaze now glinted with something sharp and resolute.
"Throwing away a bright future just to take on such a reckless mission, that's not like you."
She shook her head slightly, and added,
"If this is for my father's sake, or for mine, then it's unnecessary."
Ryu froze for a second before shrugging with helplessness, he hadn't expected her to overanalyze this so much.
"My father recommended you for promotion because it was your due as an investigator. You don't owe the Mado family anything,"
Akira continued.
"There's no need for you to carry the weight of a vengeance that doesn't belong to you."
Her words hit him squarely.
For Uesugi Ryu, Mado Kureo did mean something special, he was arguably the first person in this world who had shown him genuine care and support.
And his current decision, while undeniably rooted in personal gain, also served as a way to help Mado Kureo find closure.
Then, Akira suddenly chuckled, lightly, unexpectedly, as if remembering something amusing.
"This kind of hypothesis, based purely on instinct, shouldn't be trusted," she said.
"But my gut tells me... you're right."
The smile on her face faded, replaced by a look of deep sincerity. Her sharp eyes locked onto Ryu's with unwavering intensity.
"First-Class Uesugi, I trust your judgment."
"I've already written my will. As your subordinate, it's only right I go with you."
Uesugi Ryu couldn't help but smile, he instinctively looked away from her piercing gaze.
"Subordinate, huh...?"
He tilted his head up toward the sky.
Because of the height difference, all Akira could see from her angle was the strong, sharp line of his jaw.
...
Cochlea was the CCG's stronghold, and the only likely attackers from Aogiri Tree would be Yoshimura Eto and Tatara.
But real life didn't always follow the plot of a story.
He had to weigh the risk factors.
With his current strength, he was confident in dealing with Eto.
Whether CRC gas would affect her was unknown, but Tatara wouldn't last long either way.
There was a massive gulf between SS and SSS. There were many SS-class ghouls, but only a handful of SSS-class ones.
After a moment of quiet contemplation, Ryu nodded slightly.
Then, lowering his gaze to meet Akira's, he said quietly:
"No problem. But before that, I want you to agree to one condition."
"What is it?" she asked.
"I want you to prioritize your own life.
If necessary, run. Whether it's vengeance or whatever else, leave it to me."
Akira's expression froze.
The words completely caught her off guard, leaving her unsure how to respond.
She looked down. The long lashes over her eyes trembled slightly in the fading light.
"...I don't get it," she murmured.
"If I'm so unlikeable... why would you help me?"
Ryu looked at her quietly, his gaze unreadable.
She had always come off cold, even unpleasant to most people, but he knew better.
Being a genius often meant being alone.
Akira had been the best among her peers since childhood. That also meant she'd grown up emotionally isolated.
She had a hard shell, but a soft heart, fiercely loyal, emotionally sensitive, yet unwilling to show it.
After a pause, Ryu slowly lifted his hand and placed it gently on her shoulder.
Softly, he said:
"I never disliked you, Akira. Not even once."
Akira's body trembled as she looked up at him, confused.
The usual careless, smirking expression was gone from Ryu's face, replaced by a calm sincerity she had never seen before.
He scratched the back of his head and chuckled faintly.
"Actually, I kind of like you."
As soon as he said it, he turned away awkwardly, as if he lacked the courage to keep facing her.
"...As your superior, of course I have to avenge my subordinate," he added quickly.
"And besides, it's not just for you and your father. I also want to fight the One-Eyed Owl."
His words, which bordered on a confession, left a faint blush on Akira's cheeks.
Even the tips of her ears turned red.
"I understand," she said with a small nod.
She lowered her gaze again, thinking for a moment. Then she spoke quietly, seriously:
"I almost forgot to tell you. That scarf, it's the first gift I've ever received from a man, besides my father."
Ryu looked at her, half-joking.
"Really? Shame I haven't seen you wear it yet."
Akira didn't respond.
She simply took a step forward, the sharp click of her heels tapping rhythmically against the stone path.
She walked toward him, step by step, slowly closing the distance.
The sun was sinking low, vanishing into the horizon. The last streak of crimson light stretched across the sky like a trail of blood.
Those deep violet heels she wore were beautiful, the same pair Ryu had once taken off for her, not too long ago.
As she came closer, Ryu glanced at the time on his phone.
5:30 PM.
"It's getting late. Let's go," he said lightly, tossing the words over his shoulder.
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked ahead.
But after just a few steps, he suddenly halted, as if something had grabbed his sleeve.
Without turning back, he spoke again, voice playful:
"First time, huh? Don't worry. There'll be a second. It won't be long."
And with that, Uesugi Ryu strode away from the cemetery, leaving Akira standing alone.
Her soft yellow hair fluttered in the wind. Her eyelids lowered slightly, long lashes trembling faintly.
She couldn't quite figure out what he meant.
He said such things... and then just turned and ran away.
"...What an idiot."