A little later, inside the construction site now sealed off by the Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau—
As the quasi–Special Class Investigator Hachikawa Tadashi listened to his subordinate's report—especially the drunk man's description of Hojo Yoru's actions—he paused briefly. Then, in his eyes appeared something rare:
genuine admiration.
"Completely disregarding the hostage's safety… no hesitation, no delay… treating the elimination of the ghoul as the absolute priority."
He exhaled softly.
"As expected of Tokyo's strongest devil hunter. Even by an investigator's standards, that was flawless."
Hachikawa had once lived through an incident from earlier in his career—back when he wasn't quasi–Special Class yet.
His squad had taken part in an operation to wipe out the ghoul organization known as 'Black Doberman.' But because a civilian was present on-site, his mentor and subordinates all died protecting that one person. The entire squad was wiped out, leaving only Hachikawa alive—his lower face ruined beyond repair in that battle.
Because of that experience, Hachikawa never hesitated in future missions.
Even if a hostage died right in front of him, his resolve would not waver.
That style had sparked controversy inside the Bureau. He'd heard the same kind of criticism over and over:
If it's truly impossible, fine. But if you could at least try—why not do everything you can to protect innocent civilians on-site?
Hachikawa considered that way of thinking stupid.
Did they think ghouls were idiots?
If you want to eliminate the ghoul and protect the civilians at the same time, the end result is usually that you accomplish neither.
"…I never thought…"
Hachikawa sighed, a trace of self-mockery and melancholy on his face.
"The first person I've ever sincerely acknowledged and respected… isn't even an investigator."
"It's a devil hunter."
"What irony."
The investigators assigned to lock down and examine the scene all wore expressions of shared agreement.
They'd never seen a post-battle site like this.
There wasn't a single trace of blood. No scraps of bodies. Nothing.
The place was clean, like nothing had happened.
And yet, the human-shaped crater, sunken nearly a meter into the ground, proved—indirectly—the terrifying power of that devil hunter, Hojo Yoru.
What kind of attack could leave marks like that?
Even before Hojo's report arrived, today's operation had already handed the Bureau a valuable piece of intelligence:
the first confirmed case of ghouls cooperating with vampires.
Vampires were rare, ghoul-adjacent but fundamentally different.
They feared UV light. They usually used a "human shell" to disguise themselves and block sunlight—meaning it wasn't that they couldn't exist under daylight, but they couldn't switch forms under direct sunlight.
For ghouls, fatal injuries—like a heart-pierce, or being cut cleanly in half from the waist—are still fatal.
But for vampires, those attacks aren't enough.
To kill them reliably, you need either UV exposure or destruction of the head.
Vampires don't eat flesh; they drink blood. Ghouls can absorb RC cells from blood, but they still prefer eating humans directly.
Two man-eating species entering a stable symbiosis was… not good news for humans.
"Quasi–Special Class Hachikawa," one investigator reported cautiously, "based on that man's description, there was also a young girl on scene. Should we—"
"Don't ask. Don't investigate her identity."
Hachikawa cut him off immediately.
"That girl is Hojo Yoru's partner. Headquarters has decided to trust him—so we don't do anything that could be misinterpreted."
"Don't forget: he isn't Bureau staff. He's an external devil hunter helping us."
"Don't get clever."
"…Understood."
Meanwhile, inside Hojo Yoru's apartment—
"I'm done showering."
Yuuki Asuna stepped out of the bathroom in cute cartoon pajamas. Her flaxen hair hung slightly damp, and her pale skin held a warm, post-shower flush—soft, clean, and unmistakably "fresh."
Hojo looked her over and said bluntly:
"After a shower, you really look… soft and sweet-smelling."
"Huh?!"
Asuna recoiled a step, covering her chest and glaring at him like he was an ambush predator.
"Don't tell me you're getting ideas. Try anything and I'll cut you with the Throne of Swords!"
Hojo smiled—then immediately cranked his attack stat to max.
"That scrap metal might cut a B-rank ghoul. Cut me? If you can actually hurt me, then congratulations—my Pokémon has fully graduated."
"It's not scrap metal!"
Asuna leaned in, raising one finger with a deadly-serious expression, emphasizing each syllable:
"Throne. Of. Swords. The name is cool, okay?!"
"Still putting on airs."
Hojo pulled out an ice-cold Coke from a bag, cracked it open, and took a long gulp.
"Then I'm Ouroboros Dragon."
"Wait, not Ouroboros Snake?"
"Who cares? No one else knows. I can make it up. 'Infinite End,' 'Eternal Cycle,' 'Ultimate Growth'—that kind of vibe."
Asuna's expression turned complicated.
"I don't even know whether to call you impressive or just… abstract. How do you casually invent these weird titles? Like at the school gate when you met my mom—oh, right."
She suddenly remembered something. Her cheeks tinted red, and she hesitated, clearly weighing how to ask.
"What's the matter?" Hojo teased. "You applying to sleep in the same bed tonight? Let me check my schedule—if I've got an empty slot, I'll pencil you in."
"Empty slot?! It's just the two of us in this house!"
"What if there's a ghost?"
"Stop scaring me!"
Asuna puffed up, then finally lowered her gaze, pressed her lips together, and forced out the question with visible courage:
"Um… my mom wants your contact info. Can I give it to her?"
"Huh? Your mother?"
Hojo looked genuinely startled—and immediately wore a troubled expression.
"Is that appropriate? Does your father have no objections?"
Asuna froze for half a second before realizing what he was implying.
Her face went bright red—this time not from shyness, but from fury.
"What are you even thinking?! My mom just said she wants to stay in touch and ask about how I'm doing at school!"
"She said you and I are—"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( Ending )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
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