A week after the meeting, operations were underway to locate ONI. And the anticipated meeting happened on one fateful night.
It was a crescent moon night. Puffs of cloud drifted across the vast darkness of the sky. Their outline shone when they were closed to the moon, but the wind would soon drift them away into oblivion.
Aiko was trying to find some clue to Shinji's abductors. She was on her way to Kirishima residence.
'They wore quite fine clothes, most likely they are higher class ghouls. Kirishima might know about them, he does work for some higher class' she thought.
The long road stretched to the horizon, yet there were no people on the road. Maybe because it was close to midnight.
A man appeared out from a turning. Aiko steadied her speed. The man was coming closer toward her direction. She observed the man. He was a young lad mostly in his mid twenties. He wore a overcoat, over a white shirt and pale grey pant. He was tall, taller than her.
Just as they were about to cross each other, he gave out a shrill sneeze. Aiko was startled.
"Bless you" she said, but he didn't replied or even if he did it was muffled up between his handkerchief.
Without paying any further notice, she walked away. When she was about three metres away from him, she turned her head slightly.
At once she jumped away from the spot. Three energy projection hit the road and vaporised. She looked above and the true identity of the person was revealed. He was a ghoul and ukaku.
He unfurled his kagune. It was shape like a bird wing but rathers than covered by feathers, it seem constructed out of cobwebs. Thins threads of silk form a latticework, producing a rusty golden kagune. It was not the most beautiful kagune though.
"You are ONI aren't you? My nose doesn't lie. At last I have found my destined rival" Zero two declared grandously.
"I don't remember ever meeting you, which ward are you from" she asked, herself puzzled by this sudden confrontation with a stranger.
"No we are fated to meet princess. You have evaded me for so long, but tonight will be the decisive battle to find the strongest dog in Tokyo" he said.
"I'm busy, go away. I don't have time to wast ..." She was about to finish her sentence when suddenly Zero two let out two more energy projectiles at her. She managed to dozed them.
She was pissed and it was evident. Her shell kagune was forming.
"You choose the wrong person to mess with brat" she warned. But Zero two seemed more excited.
Aiko dashed toward him. In response, Zero two produce multiple projectiles from his wings. Those that were about to hit her, were cut up by the elongated tip of her shell kagune. The larger and more concentrated once were avoided.
The rampage of projectiles continued for a few seconds and Aiko was reducing the distance between them. When she was just close to him, she thrust her kagune tip toward him. It gazed his cheek and pierced through his left wing. Zero two thought he was saved, but this was Aiko's real intention.
With a powerful force she lifted her kagune while reaping a large part of the left wing. Zero two darted away in pain.
"See I told you, your Ukaku is no match for my Koukaku, I'm still not mad so you can apologize and ..." She said
"Brilliant, so this is your power. Fantastic I want more, I haven't shown all my moves" he interrupted her.
Aiko noticed that his kagune was healing fast. Like a spider's web, the thin silk were connecting the severed regions. Within a minute the wing was fully healed.
"With your defeat, I will be recognised as a capable investigator of the CCG. I will soon be Rank 1 Mahito" he said and let out a fury of projectile, but this time they were smaller. Aiko defended herself with her shell alone.
'A ghoul working for the CCG! First the UFC and now this, certainly there is more mud than I had expected in the system' she thought while once again closing the distance.
Zero two noticed it. "The same move won't work" he said and was preparing his projectile to pin her at close range. But this time the tip didn't came. Rather Aiko shoved the spiky side of her shell against his face and body.
It looked painful. The skin on his lower face was reaped. His shirt was torn and covered in blood. One could see the lower jaw clearly. He felt on his knee and was vomiting blood.
"Your kagune can heal quickly, but the same may not be true for your body" she commented. She was about to deliver the final blow on his unguarded head.
Zero two vision hovered above. Just as the blow was about to hit him, his Ukaku kagune retreated. There was a huge metallic sound, and a cloud of dust surrounded them. When the dust settled, a new kagune was revealed.
This Koukaku kagune covered his right arm. It was shaped like a large conical spear, those that were used during mediaeval cavalry fight. It was dark bluish with black ring like markings.
She realized that he was a unique ghoul and maybe that's why the CCG is using him. Moreover those serious wounds that she had inflicted a moment ago had completely healed by the time he stood up.
He smiled at her and said "Time for round two."