Late at night in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, within an unfinished building near the Mita subway line.
Tatara, his white cropped hair framing the lower half of his face concealed by a mask, entered the fourth floor where Takatsuki Izumi stood by the window gazing at the night sky.
Hearing Tatara's footsteps, Takatsuki Izumi slightly turned her head:
"How are things outside?"
"...It's quiet."
After a moment's silence, Tatara chose the word 'quiet' to describe the situation:
"I tried contacting every Ghoul I could reach. None responded."
"I even visited several Ghouls' homes whose addresses I knew. Aside from faint traces of blood, there was nothing. The landlords all claimed they'd never had tenants matching my descriptions."
"I see..."
Though surprised by Tatara's report, Takatsuki Izumi's expression remained composed:
"What about the warehouse?"
Tatara paused before answering:
"It's clean. As if nothing had ever happened there."
Takatsuki Izumi narrowed her eyes. She knew exactly what the warehouse had been like before - a slaughterhouse where thousands of Ghouls had fought and devoured each other. For such a scene to be completely erased overnight...
Even she couldn't help but feel impressed:
"It seems this world's cleaners are remarkably efficient."
Tatara remained silent.
By now, he understood Takatsuki Izumi's intentions and recognised her approach as the most viable solution.
Overnight, over 20,000 Ghouls had been eliminated without a single disturbance. By morning, news outlets, local communities, even the crime scenes themselves showed no trace. Landlords had forgotten their Ghoul tenants entirely.
This comprehensive eradication - physical, mental, and evidentiary - had given Tatara a stark realisation about this world's terrifying nature. Compared to their original world, the difference was immense.
While Tatara grappled with this revelation, Takatsuki Izumi also felt pensive.
Her plan to test this world's upper echelons through the cannibalistic ritual and cultivated Ghouls had succeeded. She'd successfully drawn out Suzuka Dairenji, the Onmyou Agency's Taiyin General, witnessing firsthand her unpredictable Yin-Yang Arts.
Like a tiger straying into another predator's territory, Takatsuki Izumi urgently needed to establish her position in the food chain. Suzuka Dairenji served as her benchmark.
"What did Shizuka Hio say?"
Recognising the implication behind Takatsuki Izumi's question, Tatara answered directly:
"We've already confirmed with that individual."
"Dairenji Suzuka, age 15, the Divine General of Taiyin among the Twelve Divine Generals of the Onmyou Agency."
"Since enrolling at age 12, she has demonstrated extraordinary talent, breaking multiple records within the Onmyou Agency. She's considered the most outstanding prodigy in the agency's thirty-year history, with many Divine Generals viewing her as a highly promising junior."
"A promising junior..."
Takatsuki Izumi mulled over this evaluation, her smile gradually turning bitter:
"So she wasn't lying when claiming to be the weakest among the Divine Generals?"
"What a truly despairing fact."
A single Dairenji Suzuka could wipe out over a hundred Ghouls of at least S-rank, and yet she was the youngest and weakest among the Twelve Divine Generals.
And the Twelve Divine Generals were merely one component of the Onmyou Agency. Beyond them existed organisations like the Metropolitan Police Department's Bujin-shū, the Ministry of Environment Countermeasures Office, Onikiriyaku Family, the Hyakki Yagyō, and the SDS - forces of equal or greater strength.
At this thought, Takatsuki Izumi grew thoroughly depressed:
"Come to think of it, isn't it strange how this tiny island nation manages to cram in so many talents?"
Hearing this, Tatara glanced at her and said:
"Eto, have you considered the possibility..."
"That Japan's situation might be normal, and other countries could be even more terrifying?"
At Tatara's words, Takatsuki Izumi fell silent.
Based on the intelligence she'd freeloaded from Luo Shu, both China across the sea and the distant America harboured exceptionally fearsome organisations that completely dwarfed Japan's in scale.
And beyond these two, Europe hosted groups like Golden Dawn - where a single branch equalled the combined mystic forces of an entire nation. Opposing them stood Truth Astronomy, equally capable of suppressing a country's mystic side with just one faction.
If these shadow organisations were already so formidable, then the five great powers that maintained orderly civilian lives while keeping the mystic side hidden were the planet's true overlords.
Contemplating these behemoths, Takatsuki Izumi suddenly felt her betrayal of the Ghouls might have been wise.
After all, even if she'd done nothing, the Ghouls would have been crushed by these terrifying forces. Comparatively, sacrificing her brutal kin to preserve some remnants seemed a sensible choice.
'That old fool shelters mostly weak Ghouls, while mine are relatively more elite.'
'Using 'sparks' as a metaphor seems rather fitting...'
With a sigh, Takatsuki Izumi turned to Tatara:
"What does Shizuka Hio say? When does she plan to begin transforming Ghouls into Vampires?"
Tatara frowned slightly, his expression somewhat helpless:
"She wants to wait until we've finalised negotiations with the SDS personnel before discussing it."
"Being played..." Takatsuki Izumi muttered. "Is she worried our deal with the SDS might fall through, making her investment worthless?"
Though she complained, having experienced things firsthand, Takatsuki Izumi could understand Shizuka Hio's perspective.
She now fully believed Japan housed at least five hundred monsters stronger than herself.
This realisation left her deeply unsettled.
Ghouls now numbered less than a hundred in reality. Anteiku had 35, and her side had 35, making a total of 70.
Calculating one person's worth of food per month, that meant 70 people would need to be killed as rations each month.
But in the current situation, killing was clearly not an option. Do it, and they'd be the ones getting killed.
Thus, altering Ghouls to consume regular human food became absolutely crucial.
At present, Takatsuki Izumi had two such channels. One was the Abyss Artefact in Shizuka Hio's possession, capable of transforming 20 Ghouls into Vampires. However, this would likely place them under Shizuka's control.
The other was the 15 slots offered by Luo Shu, which required swearing allegiance to him.
Combining both, Takatsuki Izumi only had 34 spots to allocate, since she herself would occupy one.
Yet compared to total annihilation or complete subjugation, this was still better than running naked in this world.
Having suffered since childhood, Takatsuki Izumi understood the importance of numbers.
How many Ghouls survived would largely determine whether she could live safely in this world.
Thus, she desperately wanted to avoid Ghouls preying on humans.
Who knew if, during a hunt, they might encounter a level 3 threat from this world and get wiped out entirely?
If that happened, Takatsuki Izumi wouldn't even know where to cry.
But at this critical juncture, Shizuka Hio was sitting idly by, leaving Takatsuki Izumi in a tight spot.
After enduring harsh lessons, Takatsuki Izumi fully grasped her standing in this world and realised joining a major organisation wasn't shameful.
Compared to Shizuka Hio, who was being hunted by the Vampire Elder Council, Luo Shu was clearly the best—and only—choice.
The troublesome part was that he already had her father serving him, making her side's appeal rather limited.
'Perhaps... consider eliminating the old man to compete for position?'
This bold idea flashed through Takatsuki Izumi's mind.
Truth be told, she didn't have much affection for Yoshimura anyway.
The old man had handed her to Noro to raise as a child. Yet when Noro was beaten to death, Yoshimura didn't lift a finger to save her foster father. She had to use her Kagune to modify the corpse, turning him into a living dead just to survive.
This alone left Takatsuki Izumi deeply resentful towards Yoshimura.
'You didn't raise me yourself—fine. But doing nothing when my foster father was killed? What kind of nonsense is that?'
Not to mention how he'd left her to grow up feral in the most chaotic Ghoul-infested killing zones from the start.
Then there was how he'd killed his human wife during the V Organisation's pursuit, supposedly to spare her from being captured and tortured.
Another grievance—matricide.
Abandonment, matricide, and now competing for positions with her.
Honestly, tallying up all these grievances, Takatsuki Izumi wondered if she and that old man were fated to be enemies.
Why else would she be born as his daughter only to suffer like this?
Thus, the idea of eliminating Yoshimura did stir something in her.
Were it not for worrying about displeasing Luo Shu, she might have acted already.
"Fine. Let that old bastard live a little longer."
In the end, Takatsuki Izumi still didn't dare to offend Luo Shu, because according to Shizuka Hio's account, he was the one who facilitated the connection that led Japan's authorities to decide on exterminating the Ghouls.
And the reason, as Shizuka Hio put it, was most likely to establish dominance.
After all, according to intelligence, Luo Shu, newly appointed as the Director of the Hidden Management Department within the SDS, had been rapidly promoted by the organisation's highest-ranking Supreme Chairwoman. He lacked inherent prestige within the ranks.
Thus, to solidify his position, the Ghouls—troublesome and unlucky—caught Luo Shu's attention.
Under his mediation, it took only a few days for the joint authorities to order Japan's extermination of Ghouls, and the government unanimously agreed that the Ghouls could be eradicated—hence yesterday's purge.
Considering this, Takatsuki Izumi was inclined to join Luo Shu's faction.
Though he had wiped out her kind, she never saw any issue with that.
Ghouls lived by the law of the jungle, didn't they? Now that they'd encountered someone stronger, annihilation was only natural—wasn't it?
As Takatsuki Izumi steeled herself mentally, rapid footsteps echoed through the corridor. Ayato Kirishima rushed onto the floor and called out:
"Eto, that man is here."
Hearing this, Takatsuki Izumi's expression sharpened, and she quickly ordered:
"Tatara, go and bring him in."
Tatara was about to set off when Takatsuki Izumi hastily added:
"Forget it, let's go together."
Hearing this, Tatara nodded in agreement with her decision.
...
Beneath the hollowed-out building.
A black Lexus sat quietly by the side of the road.
As Takatsuki Izumi and Tatara descended, the Lexus's headlights flashed several times. The two promptly quickened their pace towards the vehicle.
The window rolled down, revealing Luo Shu's face as he glanced at them.
Upon seeing Takatsuki Izumi's dishevelled appearance - her exhausted expression and messy hair completely devoid of personal grooming - Luo Shu turned his head away and said:
"Get in."
The window closed. Understanding his meaning, Takatsuki Izumi walked to the other side and directly entered the back seat, sitting beside him.
Noticing this, Tatara tried opening the front passenger door but found it locked. After glancing at Kisara in the driver's seat, he seemed to comprehend the situation and stepped back, waiting quietly by the car.
In the back seat.
Luo Shu turned to look at Takatsuki Izumi and remarked:
"Later, I'll transfer 500 million yen as operational funds, along with sending you the salary and benefits standards. Once you get the money, clean yourself up properly. Don't make it look like I'm mistreating my subordinates."
Takatsuki Izumi appeared momentarily confused before understanding his meaning, murmuring:
"Aren't all writers supposed to be this slovenly..."
Halfway through her sentence, she caught Luo Shu's disdainful look and chuckled awkwardly:
"Understood. I'll visit a hairdresser after returning."
Seeing her compliance, Luo Shu simply added:
"Starting tomorrow, you'll be a subordinate organisation of the SDS Hidden Management Department, handling off-the-books operations."
"I'll provide funding and benefit templates, then arrange Gene Adjustment for your Ghoul subordinates to eliminate their cannibalistic urges, followed by basic training."
"Formal assignments will come after training completion."
"Any questions? Voice them now without hesitation."
Takatsuki Izumi shook her head:
"No questions."
In truth, she found these terms remarkably lenient, unlike typical cannon-fodder recruitment.
"Good."
Pleased with her cooperation, Luo Shu nodded and revealed his secondary purpose:
"Are you still in contact with Shizuka Hio?"