Mihana Funeral Parlour, Internal Guesthouse.
"Inspector Sato, here's your coffee."
Wataru Takagi, who had stepped out to buy hot drinks, pulled a can of hot coffee from the plastic bag he was carrying and handed it to Miwako Sato.
"Ah, thanks."
Miwako Sato accepted the still-warm can of coffee and was about to take a sip when Takagi asked:
"So... is Director Luo still in the meeting room?"
"Yeah. He's in the inner room discussing matters with Mr. Guo Yi and Inspector Megure."
Miwako Sato explained casually.
At this, Takagi glanced at their colleagues smoking nearby and, noticing them watching, lowered his voice:
"You saw it too earlier, right, Inspector Sato?"
Miwako Sato raised an eyebrow, popping open the can while turning to look at Takagi:
"You mean Director Luo and Mr. Guo Yi speaking privately in Chinese?"
Takagi nodded and whispered:
"After their private chat, they didn't even check the scene—just pulled Inspector Megure straight into the room for discussions. They're definitely avoiding us, aren't they?"
Miwako Sato frowned. "Takagi, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Takagi's face paled slightly as he replied:
"Earlier, Yamada mentioned that when the forensics team was investigating the crematorium yesterday—before Special Crimes Division took over—they told him about some findings at the scene."
"Apparently, the coffin holding the body was forcibly pried open by something like... animal claws. And inside the coffin, they found fragments of human tissue... with bite marks."
Hearing this, Miwako Sato nearly spilt her coffee on him.
'Who brings up stuff like this while someone's drinking?!'
Takagi looked genuinely spooked as he continued:
"Inspector Sato, you don't think... there's actually some kind of man-eating monster, do you?"
"Maybe Director Luo and Inspector Megure are keeping us in the dark to avoid scaring us. That's why they're being so secretive."
"Takagi..." Miwako Sato wanted to say he was overthinking it, but the words died in her throat.
After all, Luo Shu and Juzo Megure's behaviour was undeniably strange.
Just then, the meeting room door swung open, drawing everyone's attention as Luo Shu, Juzo Megure, Guo Yi, and Kisara stepped out.
Luo Shu exchanged a glance with Megure, who nodded in understanding before stepping forward and clearing his throat.
"Takagi, take the others back to the Metropolitan Police Department and arrange with Manager Kuroda for the Legal Affairs Bureau's cooperation in the investigation. Then head over there with a team."
"Sato, you'll stay here with Director Luo and me to gather evidence from the suspect."
"Yes, sir!"
Takagi saluted hastily, as if afraid of being caught, before ushering his colleagues out in a near-panic.
Miwako Sato stared blankly at his retreating figure before turning back to Juzo Megure's solemn expression.
"Inspector Megure..."
Megure glanced at Luo Shu and sighed."You'll be taking the inspector's exam next year, won't you, Sato?"
"Yes." Miwako Sato nodded.
"Then the timing should be about right." Juzo Megure muttered before turning his gaze to Luo Shu.
Understanding the implication, Luo Shu calmly stated: "I'll explain the situation to Superintendent Matsumoto later."
Hearing this, Juzo Megure raised his hand to adjust his hat and said in a lowered voice:
"In that case, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Assistant Inspector Miwako Sato."
"Present!" Miwako Sato immediately stood at attention and saluted.
Juzo Megure then spoke gravely:
"Everything from this point onward is classified information. No matter what you see, don't be shocked. You'll be signing a non-disclosure agreement afterwards. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Miwako Sato responded loudly.
Observing this, Luo Shu gave a slight nod before addressing Guo Yi:
"Have you brought the captured Ghoul?"
Guo Yi no longer avoided the subject and replied directly in Japanese: "The people from Black Dragon Society have already brought it over. They should be entering through the back gate near the crematorium now."
Luo Shu nodded slightly and asked: "Are there any well-secured rooms at the crematorium?"
Guo Yi's expression turned serious as he answered solemnly: "There are two reinforced steel chambers blessed by Onmyoji. They're specifically designed to contain corpses drained by Vampires and those turned into Jiangshi. They'd be suitable for interrogations."
He added:
"As you know, Mr Luo, our line of work often involves dealing with... unclean things. So these rooms are built to the highest possible standards."
Luo Shu showed understanding before nodding:
"That simplifies matters then."
"Go prepare to bring the Ghoul into the chamber now."
Even as he instructed Guo Yi, Luo Shu turned to Juzo Megure:
"Megure, you'll accompany Assistant Inspector Sato inside later as Metropolitan Police Department representatives to witness proceedings. That won't be a problem?"
"No problem."
By now, Juzo Megure had grown somewhat accustomed to Luo Shu's manner of address and responded in a low voice.
Meanwhile, Miwako Sato stood bewildered.
'What was a Ghoul? Were Vampires the legendary creatures? And what were these Jiangshi things? Judging by Guo Yi's grave expression, they seemed dangerous, too?'
Utterly confused, Miwako Sato followed behind Luo Shu in a daze, accompanying Juzo Megure and Kisara as they were led by Guo Yi into a room constructed entirely of reinforced steel with only a single metal security door.
Before long, six tattooed yakuza members in bulging suits, radiating palpable menace, wheeled in a black coffin and openly bowed to the police officers present:
"Officers, we appreciate your hard work!!" x6
Luo Shu's expression turned slightly peculiar as he nodded, while Juzo Megure maintained a composed smile:
"Not at all, transporting the suspect must have been the real challenge."
After exchanging pleasantries, the six yakuza members voluntarily exited the room, taking positions outside the door.
Miwako Sato watched in shock as these men retrieved firearms and even grenades from their bulging suits, casually loading their weapons right before her eyes.
"Inspector Megure..." Miwako Sato hesitated.
At that moment, Luo Shu glanced at Miwako Sato and reminded her:
"Don't ask. Just watch quietly."
Hearing this, Miwako Sato immediately fell silent and obediently stood to the side, a far cry from the fierce demeanour she'd shown when interrogating Luo Shu last week.
Luo Shu gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing, simply turning around and slapping a hand onto the coffin lid. With a single motion, he flipped it open.
Kisara, standing nearby, casually grabbed one side of the lid and lifted the hundred-pound black coffin cover as if it were foam, propping it against the wall.
Miwako Sato gaped at the scene. Even Juzo Megure, who was in the know, broke out in a cold sweat.
Neither had expected the seemingly delicate pink-haired girl always accompanying Luo Shu to possess such inhuman strength. They were utterly dumbfounded.
While the others were stunned, Luo Shu's gaze fixed on the figure inside the coffin.
The figure was gaunt, no taller than 1.7 metres. Every part of its body except the mouth was tightly bound by specialised black straps connected to the coffin base, leaving not a single gap exposed.
When the sound of the coffin opening echoed, the bound figure—wrapped up like a mummy—immediately used its only free mouth to curse:
"Bastards! Using machine guns?! You lot don't even follow the rules anymore?!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu's expression turned peculiar, even slightly puzzled, as he retorted:
"Why did you think we wouldn't use guns?"
The tightly bound Ghoul instinctively snapped back, "You people always use Quinque to deal with us—"
He abruptly shut his mouth, clearly realising his mistake.
Seeing this, Luo Shu didn't press further, simply turning to look at Guo Yi.
"Mr Guo, your turn or mine?"
"Let me make one last attempt first."
Guo Yi raised a hand, cleared his throat, and stepped up to the coffin. Then, in the distinctive yakuza-style rasp, he roared:
"Yakumo Oomori, right? Talk! Who sent you to steal corpses here?"
"Don't think staying silent will save you. Since we have your name, we can find out who your parents, wife, and kids are. If you don't want them suffering, spit out who ordered you!"
As Guo Yi bellowed, Juzo Megure immediately whispered to Miwako Sato:
"Remember not to include that line in the report later. Or just rephrase it as 'Mr Guo earnestly advised'."
Miwako Sato didn't respond, only giving Juzo Megure a pointed look.
Meanwhile, Yakumo Oomori, subjected to Guo Yi's threats, let out a derisive snort, baring saliva-coated teeth in a grin:
"Threatening me? With parents and family?"
"Tch. I ate all that stuff ages ago."
Hearing this, Luo Shu frowned but remained silent.
Guo Yi, having made his crude attempt and found it futile, sighed and turned to Luo Shu:
"We've already interrogated this Ghoul, but he's remained uncooperative throughout. So we'll leave the rest to you, Director Luo."
As she spoke, Guo Yi bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to Luo Shu before stepping aside.
At that moment, Luo Shu looked up and addressed Juzo Megure:
"Would you like to attempt the interrogation, Inspector Megure?"
Megure's expression was grave and solemn:
"No, I'll pass. Rather than questioning, I'm more curious about what the suspect meant by 'eating' his parents? Has this creature truly committed such a heinous crime?"
Before Luo Shu could respond, the tightly restrained Yakumo Oomori grinned widely:
"Hah? What do you think 'eating' means? With my mouth, of course!"
"Ever tried woman's flesh? Especially the breasts – fatty, gets a bit cloying after too much, but—"
BANG!
A slender fist smashed violently into Yakumo Oomori's face, leaving a deep indentation.
Luo Shu glanced at Kisara, who had struck the blow, but said nothing.
Nearby, Megure exchanged looks with Miwako Sato, who calmly remarked:
"Inspector Megure, the suspect accidentally hit his face. Should we include that in the report?"
Megure smiled wryly but coughed before saying, "Best leave it out. Let's pretend we didn't see it."
"My apologies."
Kisara withdrew her bloodied fist, having struck Oomori so hard he couldn't even think straight. She glanced at Luo Shu with concern, as if worried he might see her as violent.
Luo Shu gave her a resigned smile: "Next time, give me a heads-up before punching someone."
"Understood..." Kisara replied meekly, pausing before adding: "I just got angry hearing what he said... Sorry, Shu-kun, I acted impulsively."
Luo Shu waved dismissively, signalling for her not to dwell on it, then turned back to Oomori, who was gasping heavily as he struggled to recover. Luo Shu probed:
"You're a Ghoul affiliated with Aogiri Tree, aren't you?"
Oomori froze momentarily before exclaiming in shock: "...You're a transmigrator too?"
He immediately backtracked, vehemently denying: "What Aogiri Tree? Never heard of it!!"
Luo Shu scoffed, using the Mysticism Encyclopaedia to lock onto Oomori's aura at close range, instantly retrieving detailed information.
After scanning the Encyclopaedia's contents, his eyes flashed with understanding before he deliberately remarked:
"I see. You're with Aogiri Tree, but don't want to implicate them. Meaning the attack on the crematorium's corpses was another organisation's doing, while Aogiri Tree sent you to sabotage it."
"That explains why the records show you deliberately killed the guards and were the first to consume the corpses."
"Participating in another group's operation while making a spectacle of it... Hmm, to draw official attention? And test the authorities' capabilities too."
"The only cost—if you'd escaped successfully—would've been borne by that other organisation, leaving Aogiri Tree untouched. Quite the scheme."
"Only you didn't anticipate that the crematorium would have no scruples, directly employing heavy and light firepower during your operation, severely injuring and capturing you. While you were always guarding against Quinques, this unexpected move caused your downfall. Am I correct?"
Yakumo Oomori remained silent, his breathing growing noticeably heavier. Realising he couldn't conceal the truth, he sneered:
"Keep guessing. I won't say anything. Heh, planning to torture me? Go ahead, let me enjoy it!"
Seeing his attitude, Luo Shu glanced at Juzo Megure before remarking casually:
"Do you know why I persuaded Inspector Megure to stand here as the Metropolitan Police Department's witness?"
Without waiting for Oomori's response, Luo Shu explained:
"Because I claimed to possess a special ability—to extract others' memories for others to read."
"Inspector Megure agreed to all my requests and stood here as an observer precisely to verify this ability for the Metropolitan Police Department."
Oomori's breathing hitched, but suspecting deception, he stayed silent.
As an Aogiri Tree executive who prided himself on worldly experience, he naturally dismissed such fantastical claims about memory extraction.
"Keep spinning your tales. If I believe you, I lose."
Hearing this, Luo Shu murmured:
"Wasn't your Aogiri Tree's goal precisely to divert official attention onto the crematorium attackers, pitting us against each other?"
"Congratulations—you've successfully provoked the most dangerous authorities."
As he spoke, Luo Shu slowly reached towards Oomori's head, his tone leisurely:
"Since extracting memories requires interfering with brain cells, the subject loses their recollections. Excessive extraction turns them into vegetables."
"Though the consequences are severe, when dealing with man-eating Ghouls, I doubt anyone would care about such side effects."
With these words, Luo Shu's palm pressed against Oomori's forehead:
"Enjoy your time in the laboratory, Mr. Yakumo Oomori."
Instantly, Luo Shu's hand clenched mid-air and pulled. A visible torrent of information—flashing memory fragments—was extracted from Oomori's mind.
The Ghoul thrashed wildly, howling like a beast, restraints clanging violently against the chair. Yet all resistance proved futile.
Under the watchful eyes of witnesses Juzo Megure, Miwako Sato and others, Oomori's memories condensed into a white marble, spinning smoothly in Luo Shu's palm.
Memory extraction—complete!