Can you know what's inside a box before you open it?
You can make a prediction. If someone holding a box says there's a toy inside, you'd imagine a toy.
But what if it's something else?
What if they say it's a toy but inside is a venomous snake that can kill a person in one bite?
Human nature is like an unopened box.
Until you actually face its contents, you can only shake it, listen for sounds, and make a prediction.
But there are people who can guess what's inside a box without opening it.
It doesn't matter if that person is a psychic or a trickster magician.
That person has a means to confirm the contents of the box.
"Mr. Hitokawa's definitely not a bad guy, but… there's this weird smell about him."
I recall what Eto said.
The reason Eto was wary of Hitokawa was she smelled the faint "blood of their kind" emanating from him.
Ghouls have senses far superior to humans, with their sense of smell playing the most important role.
Ghouls have a unique body scent that only other ghouls can detect. Aside from a Kakugan, their sense of smell is the key to identifying one of their kind.
In order to distinguish a "fellow" with the exact same appearance as "food," ghouls need their sensitive noses.
Now, let's go back to the story.
You're walking down the street and you encounter a stranger.
That stranger tells you the contents of the box are humans, just like you.
But you have no way to verify that. You can't know if there are humans inside the box or a monster that devours humans. You can't fully trust either claim, nor can you completely dismiss the possibility of the other.
You'd feel anxious.
You'd try to prepare by imagining the worst-case scenario.
But there was someone who didn't react in this obvious way.
If they're police, they must know something about ghouls.
Many of the recent murders in the city have been the work of ghouls.
Being the ones most likely to encounter ghouls among ordinary people, police officers receive basic training on ghoul countermeasures and precautionary measures.
As long as there's a possibility that I'm a ghoul, they wouldn't end the arrest with a single pair of handcuffs. They know any ghoul would break those handcuffs in an instant.
Since they can't confirm the contents of the "box" that is "me," there's no way they'd just let me sit in the back seat all alone. A ghoul could slit two cops' throats from the back seat without a sound.
Yet their response to me showed they hadn't considered the ghoul possibility at all.
"It might be a ghoul pretending to be human."
That's the normal reaction.
"If it was, they'd have broken free and run off by now. No need to worry."
Words and actions that completely disregard the danger if I really were a ghoul.
That's where I felt the unease.
The police must have considered this case ghoul-related and handed it over to the CCG.
In that situation, what reason would there be to assert that a suspect in an encountered case couldn't possibly be a ghoul?
To confirm my unease, I pretended to be crazy and acted like a ghoul.
The two officers' reflections in the rearview mirror.
The younger officer tensed up with the fear, "Are you really a ghoul?"
The middle-aged officer sneered at my foolish display, as if to say, "What a show."
I became certain.
This middle-aged man knows I'm not a ghoul.
Since he can't confirm what's inside the box, he should harbor at least a shred of doubt.
Yet without any investigation, right where they arrested me, this man recognized me!
"Turn left up ahead."
"Huh? But we need to go back, don't we? This is the exact opposite direction…"
"I need to stop by somewhere for a moment."
Drip…
A cold sweat broke out. My tension spiked as the two officers drove somewhere other than the precinct.
All of this could be my imagination.
Maybe this middle-aged officer has a keen intuition and realized I'm human.
Maybe he's telling us to go somewhere other than the station because he hasn't eaten lunch and wants to grab a bite.
"Ha ha…."
It was such an optimistic theory that I couldn't help but chuckle.
I'm human. There's no way to confirm the contents of a box.
But you can still predict its contents without opening it—by shaking it or hearing its sounds.
And I heard it.
The crying of a monster writhing inside the box.
Through the chilling look the middle-aged officer gave me in the rearview mirror!
Think about it.
That man's eyes. You've seen them before. Very recently.
The bandages on your right arm that still throb.
The marks left by "that kid" when they bit into you.
Remember the look in "that kid's" eyes when they tore into your arm.
That's the look of someone who sees you as "food"!
"What—? Why are you laughing?"
The younger officer's face darkened, and he asked, confused by my laughter.
I shrugged and looked out the window.
The number of people on the street was gradually thinning out. I felt the car heading toward a deserted area.
It was ominous. My mind was overtaken by dreadful thoughts, and I felt like I was about to panic.
[...!]
"!"
At that moment, a reply from Hitokawa lit up the screen of the phone in my hand like a halo of mercy in hell.
I glanced down to check.
『Where are you!?』
I silently typed out my response.
『In a police car. I don't know where it's headed.』
『Are you sure? A cop's a ghoul?』
『Most likely.』
『Why do you think the cop is a ghoul? And why are you in the hands of a ghoul?!』
『How would I know! I ran into that cop on the street yesterday and they arrested me as a suspect in that incident!』
After sending that message, I waited about a minute or two for Hitokawa's reply.
『Don't tell me they arrested you because they're playing brave cop and chasing justice?』
『But it's suspicious that they didn't head straight to the station.』
This time it took about three minutes for the next reply.
『You mean their purpose is unclear. Since you don't know their intent, don't act rashly. If they realize your identity, they might do something desperate.』
I doubted those words were purely what Hitokawa would say off the top of his head. Could he have someone next to him?
『Anyway, if you see any distinctive buildings around, tell me.』
I looked out the window again but saw no landmarks.
Instead, I noted the signs of restaurants and general stores flashing past from right to left and sent them to Hitokawa in order.
About a minute or two later, his reply came.
『I'll try to find you based on this. If I learn anything new, I'll contact you immediately. And don't provoke him under any circumstances! Keep that in mind!』
After that, no more messages came from Hitokawa.
Even though he told me not to provoke him…
"So? Is your buddy some ghoul investigator?"
The phone was no longer in my hand.
Right after reading Hitokawa's last message, the middle-aged officer's hand shot out like lightning and snatched my phone. The barrier that had been blocking my movements was wide open.
Damn. My covert communication had been exposed.
The younger officer, driving the car, asked the middle-aged one inspecting the phone he'd snatched from me.
"Huh? What is it?"
"You were in contact with someone you know, saying the cop's a ghoul."
"Wha—? Hahaha. That's ridiculous. Is there something wrong with his head? Do you really think after all this time working together that we wouldn't recognize a ghoul?"
"Sure. You two have been together for ages. I'm sorry it had to come to this."
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"Huh?"
The younger officer blinked in confusion.
Bang!!
With an explosive sound, the barrier behind the young officer burst to pieces.
Along with the fragments of the head of the cop who had been alive moments before.
........
It was an instant, but time seemed to stop.
The sight of the young officer's neck missing from the front seat, the middle-aged officer sighing in regret and shaking his head… slowly imprinted itself in my mind in that slowed moment.
"Of all the people I could've arrested, why'd it have to be someone as perceptive as this? I got the wrong guy."
The lamenting voice of that officer didn't reach my ears.
Seeing his eyes reflected in the rearview mirror turning into dark red Kakugan, I could think of only one thing.
'…I'm screwed.'
Puhahahaak!!!
A fountain of gore erupted like fireworks from the neck of the young officer whose head had vanished.
The young officer's hands slipped off the wheel, and the out-of-control police car lurched, careening toward chaos.