Chapter 27: meeting of poets

It was the day after the Kanekis had returned to the thirteenth ward. Kuro was out walking while Shiro had gone down to the local café to read and enjoy a nice enough cup of coffee. As for Ken, he was currently looking over the information that the others had given him in the meeting. He had also gotten an encrypted email from 2chan bear ghoul about the most recent attack last night. He gulped down the subpar instant coffee as he looked over everything. He ignored the taste as he really needed the caffeine. Ken had had little sleep as he had spent most of the night and this morning going over everything and trying to figure out any clue to who the fake was and where they would strike next. The most annoying part of this was he knew that there was one here. Something subtly tickled at his brain when he looked at these. Like there was something obvious here that he was stupidly overlooking.

He knew that it was something about the victims themselves. He had both the official profiles and what the other ghouls were able to dig up on them. Which was an amazing amount. There was something in there that connected all of them. This wasn't as random as it appeared at first glance. But no matter how much he looked it over he couldn't see the pattern. Ken groaned and slammed his head on the table. The fact that the murders had speed up had made him even more desperate to solve this one fast. He knew there would be another attack tonight. Before now, there had been some pause between them for at least a few days but starting with the ninth they had been happening nightly. Ken partially worried that if this keeps up that they would get captured or killed by the CCG or another ghoul. Or they could just stop all of this and he'd never find them. No! He couldn't accept that. Not when he had so many questions for this imposter. Why had they chosen his mask? How was their kagune so similar to his own? Was there something greater behind this then just simple feeding?

Deciding that he was getting nowhere, Ken got up and left the room. He hoped that a change of pace would help him figure it all out. He decided to take a walk like Kuro did. Perhaps inspiration would strike or something. So he put on a light jacket and his shoes and went out. He had no real destination. So for now he just walked around the familiar streets and enjoyed the nostalgic sights, sounds, and smells. He idly watched the humans enjoying their lunches while wondering what it really tasted like. He played with a stray cat that approached him and even snuck it the hotdog he had bought to look normal. He literally smelled the roses that were outside a rather cute flower shop and complimented the owner on her gardening skills. He even stopped at a couple stores to look for some things to get as gifts for not only the girls but everyone else at Anteiku.

But sadly no inspiration was coming. So instead he decided to check out a small bookstore he remembered nearby. In fact this had been one of his favorite bookstores. As he headed there though he passed by a group of nuns with a priest asking for donations. Ken, like a majority of ghouls was not religious. It was hard for one to believe in god when he would be the very being responsible for their current situation and your very survival hinged on your capability to murder. It also didn't help that pretty much every religion in the world had something negative to say of ghouls or venerated saints who had slain ghouls with impunity to how the other had lived. But still these people seemed rather friendly as they even would engage in small talk with passersby and allowed some photography. Deciding to be generous, Ken pulled out a few five hundred yen coins and gave them to one of the nuns. She happily thanked him. He noted the odd scent on her clothes. Most likely an incense of some sort. After wards he took his leave; hoping to immerse himself in worlds of fiction to relax a bit before trying to crack the case once again.

Blood splattered on the walls of a rundown apartment complex. The fight was finished. Thanks to a local tip the CCG had discovered and eliminated another ghoul hideout. Despite there being only seven targets though, the assault had cost the lives of two officers and a few more were injured to a varying degree. Still the operation was a success and not a single one of the ghouls escaped. Now all that was left was to cleanup operations and investigating the place for any clues that could lead to more of these monsters.

Setsuko lowered her quinque, Diana, as she watched the fallen ghoul for any signs of life. Satisfied that there was none she took a deep breath and relaxed. She was more than a little upset that she had lost some men in this raid. She rationalized it as necessary sacrifice to crush these vermin. But still she was already reviewing the mission to figure out what should be fixed so that she could stop this from happening again. Setsuko truly did care for the investigators under her leadership. Even if they did call her the Iron Fisted Bitch behind her back.

She looked over the body of the ghoul she had killed again. It was an adolescent; probably no older than twelve or thirteen. But the young age had not caused her hesitate. In fact, Setsuko had become semi-famous among her coworkers for her skills at tracking down and eliminating young ghouls before they could become a problem for the CCG. Rumors spread as to why. From her hating children to being a coward who only went after easy prey. But truth was simple. Early in her career she had realized that hesitation, especially when it came to morality, could prove disastrous. During the Yamata no Orochi assault, she had hesitated when she had had a clear shot of two and then all three of the snake's offspring. Thanks to that they had escaped and she had lost her arm. And now the little ones had grown and like their father, had become major threats to the innocents who called Tokyo home. She had never forgotten nor forgiven herself for that. So she hardened her heart. She promised herself that she would eliminate these things now. Cut these parasites down early before they could threaten everyone. Her family. Her friends. Her coworkers. And public. She would protect them all. And one day, when she had her chance again, she would take the shot and finally bring down Eyepatch and his sisters.

Eventually she was approached by a bureau investigator who informed her of the state of things. She was slightly upset that there was still no new information on Eyepatch other than that one picture. And searching the meeting place had turned up nothing of any real importance. Deciding to take things one step at a time, Setsuko ordered the investigator to take charge here as she and the other combat members returned to base to rest and recuperate before the next big mission. Perhaps she would call home if she could find some time to talk. She felt liked she needed it.

Ken eagerly explored the shelves throughout the store. This was one of his favorite bookstores for a number of reasons. Despite being small it held a remarkable number of books of all sorts of genres and languages. The delightful smell of old books filled the air with each breath one took. And probably one of the biggest pluses, that the place itself was run by a ghoul.

Robin to be exact. The ghoul owner sat at the counter with a half poured out can of coke by him to look a little more human. That little fact made this place extremely relaxing. Since few came in here, especially around this time, Ken didn't feel the need to remain guarded here. It was one of his sanctuaries like Anteiku. He had first gone to talk to his old friend. Robin was a nice guy but odd. Apparently his dream as a kid had been to be some sort of super hero. He believed deeply in justice and righteousness. So deep in fact, that he had not hunted once or even killed a human. Something that not even Ken could attest too. In fact the first time the two of them had met had been when Ken had had to patch up the idiot after he picked a fight with Rize to get her to stop her cruelty to the humans she hunted. He owed his life to Ken after that and the two had become fast friends.

It was here that Ken would find his needed break in the case. As he moved across a section of old Western texts one jumped out at him. He'd read it once before and the tale came back to the forefront of his mind; revealing the pattern. Quickly he grabbed the book and tossed it to Robin, telling him to tell the others that he had figured it all out and to set up another meeting.

He then ran back to the hotel where he pulled the files out from where he'd hidden them and looked at each case in order. "So the last case was greed. No wait! It's a long shot… but if I use the CCG agents killed during at the same sight as anger then the next will be…. I have a couple of hours before night. That should be enough time to prepare." He put his mask in one of his coat pockets as he ran out. He had an idea of who the next victim might be. They fit the bill. Ken had to hope that the fake Eyepatch hadn't found a different target.

Once again night had fallen over the thirteenth ward. Among the denizens of the ward, an old monk walked alone. He had left the station and was heading for his abode to sleep away the cool night. He grumbled disgruntled at the youth of today and their lifestyles. Hoping to avoid more of them, he took a detour through some empty streets and alleys. The quiet soothed his nerves but it was soon broken.

For the choice to come to such a secluded sight was a grave error as the old man was attacked by a ghoul. His blood froze as single red and black eye started back at him. He let out a yelp as he tried to crawl away but the ghoul had blocked him into a dead end. Her kagune formed and arched up ready to strike. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." She then swung it down; meaning to end this blasphemer but her kagune was intead the thing that was pierced by a similar looking one. The other two looked up to see a male figure standing above them on top of one of those neon signs that hangs off the side of a building.

"Are you then that Virgil, and that fountain, that pours out so great a river of speech? O, glory and light to other poets, may that long study, and the great love, that made me scan your work, be worth something now," Ken spoke the line; finding it fitting in a peverse sense. He lept down causing the false one to step back only turning back to tell the monk to, "Leave," in a harsh tone that made the man squeal and flee. Ken then turned back to the woman who he had been searching for. The one who had taken his identity to commit some ritualistic like hunting system. "I have quite a few questions for you miss. Let's start with…. How about why you have my aunt's kagune?" he asked.