Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Tokyo Ghoul. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: Kureo Mado is still quite quirky, but I've elected to keep his wife alive for reasons that will become apparent as the story goes on.

Chapter Two: Growing Up With Ghouls

Four Years Later

Rize found herself smirking as she flowed through the crowd of parents coming to collect their offspring from the Little Lambs Pre-school parking lot. She'd been called in from work because the principal had said there was an issue with Harry. Of course she'd dropped everything, and Kaya had volunteered to cover her shift. That woman, and the entire staff at Anteiku for that matter, loved her little boy almost as much as she did so she was only too happy to be of assistance. Now if only they could get Enji to stop trying to teach the child curse words.

She walked through the doors and purposely ignored the stares being sent her way. The men all wanted her, she knew, and the women were wondering why someone in a uniform like hers was stalking through the halls of the prestigious pre-school. The place was awfully pricey after all. Luckily her victims almost always died with their wallets and the constant influx of cash more than paid for Harry's education. At the rate she'd been feeding she'd already saved enough for the best private middle and highschools in Tokyo.

It was a short wait once she reached the main office to be admitted to the principal's office. The man she met there had aged gracefully into his fifties, wore a pinstripe suit, and Rize just knew his intestines would taste like fine wine if she decided to gorge on him. However, Yoshimura had made it clear that consuming any of the educational staff at Harry's schools would negatively impact his education, and that could not be allowed. So she restrained herself. Barely.

The woman smiled with delight when she saw Harry already seated before the other man's desk. At five years old he was only about to her hip in height, but he was absolutely darling in every other way. One green eye that shone like an emerald and a black patch covered the empty socket of the left. It hadn't been hard to fabricate a bicycle accident on his medical forms for the loss of the optic. His black hair had been allowed to grow out and it hung shaggily down his neck, and he was dressed in a smart set of jeans and a blue sweater.

"Momma!" Upon seeing her, he hopped out of his chair and lunged for her legs, wrapping them in a tight hug…. A very tight one actually. His great physical strength had been quite the shock and it took a lot of reminding to get him to manage it.

"Hey there, sweetie." She rubbed his head gently and smiled anew as he leaned into it. Most small creatures cringed from her touch by instinct as they sensed the greater predator, but not Harry.

"Ms. Kamishiro," The principal said, "I am pleased you were able to make it here on such short notice."

"My boss is very understanding about parental obligations. May I sit, Mr. Kanjiro?"

"Please." Kanjiro gestured to one of the chairs facing his desk and Rize promptly took it, picking up her son and putting him in her lap as she did. "Now, Ms. Kamishiro I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here today."

"I am, yes."

He folded his hands over his desk. "Well, the year is almost at an end and the standardized IQ tests have come back. Maam, your son… is a genius. He scored off the charts on each test administered."

"You do those for children this young?" Rize wanted to know.

"Of course, early identification of gifted youngsters is vital so we can select the best path for them going forward." Kanjiro waved a hand. "The point is, Young Harry's results put his cognitive reasoning skills well above college level. We believe with the right educational instruction he could have all of his necessary schooling done by the time he is fourteen, fifteen at the latest."

"That is remarkable!" Rize exclaimed before pulling her boy tighter to her chest in a big hug. "Oh, my smart, smart, boy. Is that why you've been reading all those big books lately?"

"They were interesting." Harry nodded before suddenly looking down shyly. "Y-You'll still read to me though, right? Even though I'm smart?"

"Of course, honey. I love our reading time together." Looking back to the principal she explained, "The books I read him probably aren't challenging enough in light of all this. We were working our way through the Lord of the Rings."

"Yes, an excellent choice all around. By far the best Western work I've come across." The principal ruffled his mustache with good humor and said, "We need to discuss how best to arrange your son's education going forward. The good news is that there is a great facility nearby that can provide a more streamlined curriculum. I truly believe he would flourish in the more challenging environment they can provide."

"What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that Harry would be the youngest student there by at least three years, and he wouldn't be able to spend time with all of the little friends he's made here." The old man smiled as he thought back on the sight he'd witnessed that afternoon on the playground. As a western born child, Harry of course garnered a lot of attention for his looks, but the crowd that had gathered around him in the sandbox was for more than that. The child simply drew people to himself in a manner that denoted natural leadership if the way they all hung around his every instruction for sandcastle designs was anything to go by.

"That is unfortunate. Harry, what do you think?" Rize had recognized her son's advanced intelligence from the moment he had first learned to form sentences and had never felt the need to talk down to him. "This is your future after all."

The small child scrunched up his face in thought and squeaked out, "I can make new friends. I wanna go to this new school, momma. I wanna make you proud."

The principal nodded at that affirmation, more than a little impressed at his mature choice. "I'm sure you'll make us all proud, little one. Now, I have some paperwork that needs to be filled out and after that we can schedule a time for you to inspect the new facility. Why, it won't be long I imagine before you're doing the same thing with universities!"

The rest of the meeting was rather boring and standard. Rize got an idea of how well her boy was doing as well as getting the proper forms filled out, and then the duo left the pre-school together, the smaller tottering beside his mother as she held his hand. They made it three blocks before the woman decided something. "You know what, Harry? I'm hungry."

Harry knew what that meant. His mom didn't binge often, but when she did… "Is it time to play pretend?"

"Yes, honey, it is."

Because of her promise not to hunt in her boss's territory, the duo boarded a train to a neighboring ward where Rize found a secluded alley and stripped down to her underthings. Meanwhile her son went out to the street and began to ball his eyes out. By the gods she loved how good he was at acting.

"Bwah! Bwah!" He wailed, earning the attention of a kind elderly woman.

"Why hello there, dear." She squatted down beside him. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"I lost my momma." He sniffled into his sleeve before gesturing into the alley. "I saw her go in there earlier, but she hasn't come back."

The woman frowned, "Well that just won't do. Come on then, let's see if we can't track her down." She took the boy's hand and led him down the way into the alley for a few steps before she suddenly found herself weightless and flying headlong into the dark. 'What?' As she continued to fall she looked back and saw a cruelly smirking youth with a hand raised in her direction. 'Had he pushed her? But how?' Her thoughts fell to a stop however as her forward momentum ceased abruptly. With shaky movements she turned her head and found herself staring into the red and black eyes of a naked ghoul woman who was literally salivating as she clutched her captive's blazer in her hands.

"Hel-" She tried to call for aid only for the other woman's head to snap forward and her jaws to clamp over her neck. All sound cut off as blood completely filled her lungs and her attacker dug into her feast with a passion.

Harry repeated his performance thrice more. First with a man walking his dog, second with a helpful policewoman passing by, and third with a nice young couple out for an afternoon stroll. That last had proven temporarily troublesome as the man had managed to crawl back to the alley entrance while Rize was busy with his wife, so before he could call for help the boy had had to punt him back into the darkness for his mom to finish the job. She did so much for him, and it felt good to help make sure she ate. He supposed he probably should care about the victims on some level as he was technically one of their species, but he really just didn't. With his strength, speed, and higher range of thinking he had a lot of trouble feeling any kinship to these beings. Ghouls though, he felt very close to. Mr. Yoshimura was always lecturing him and proclaiming how he should have empathy for those weaker than himself, but honestly the little boy didn't understand why. The strong stand over the weak, it was the lesson his mom taught him and it was one that made sense.

After a while he stopped hearing the slurping and tearing of his mom feeding at the edge of his hearing so he pulled a packet of wet wipes and some rags out of his backpack and walked into the alley. Rize was crouched behind a stack of boxes with a pile of loose limbs and intestines at her feet. Her entire torso and chin were absolutely coated in gore.

"Thank you, honey." The purplette cooed as she took the wipes and began the slow process of wiping herself clean. She was always a bit lazy after a big meal so it took a while. Once the blood and viscera were removed from her flesh she stretched out luxuriously and began to redon her clothing. Neither she nor her boy much cared about the nudity as it wasn't as much a taboo with ghouls as it was with humans. When she was finished she forced her kakugan back to the human normal coloring and retook his hand. "Time to go home."

"Can I have curry tonight?"

"I don't see why not. You've certainly earned a treat after your help today."

"Yay!"

Two Years Later

Harry entered the door of Anteiku and noticed something was different. The usual crowd of customers were in, his mom, Kaya, and Enji were taking orders, serving, and manning the counter respectively, but the proprietor was missing.

"Hey, uncle Enji," He walked up to the counter, "Where's the old man?"

"Hey there, Harry. Short day at school today?"

"Teacher's meetings, they let us all out a few hours early."

"Neat. Mr. Yoshimura is upstairs. We got a couple new kids to settle in."

"New kids?"

"Yeah, and they're about your age. Well, the boy is. The girl is maybe a year younger."

Harry's face lit up at that revelation. Finally he might be able to make some actual friends. Oh sure there were kids at his school that he hung out with sometimes, but they were all older than him and none knew who and what he truly was. It made it pretty difficult to form meaningful bonds that way. "Can I go meet them?"

"I don't see why not. Just go tell your mom hello first. She'll be ecstatic to see you."

Harry nodded and did just that. When his mom came back to the counter to deliver a new order request he gave her a tight hug around the waist. She chuckled heartily and returned the gesture. She hadn't aged a day in the entire time she'd been raising him, a side effect of her rather large RC cell count, and nowadays most people mistook her for his big sister rather than his mom.

They exchanged warm greetings, but she still had to work, so after she took off again he made his way into the back room and then out into the residential part of the building. From there it was an easy climb up a couple flights of stairs to the apartments. Mr. Yoshimura owned the entire building so his staff lived there rent free. His apartment with his mom was located up there as well. Due to his familiarity with the structure it didn't take long at all to find the newly occupied rooms. The door was open to the hall and he could hear new people moving about.

"Ah, Harry." Mr. Yoshimura noted as he saw the young man enter. His green school uniform as pristine as always and his eyepatch ominous behind the bangs of his hair. For a while it had seemed that he might have had bad eyesight, but a quick trip to the optometrist when he was three had shown any previous damage had healed enough to avoid the need for glasses. "Come inside and meet our new residents." The boy did so and saw an adult about uncle Enji's age with a short beard and two children. "This is Renji Yomo, and he's looking after these two. Introduce yourselves, children."

The boy stepped up first while the girl that was clearly his sister hid behind him. "I'm Ayato, and this is my sister Touka." The girl waved hesitantly from behind him.

"Harry Kamishiro." Harry waved back. He could tell the instant that the other children knew he was human because their noses twitched and scowls suddenly came to their faces.

"A human!" Ayato exclaimed, his kakugan activating and a kagune wing made out of crimson RC cells spilling over his shoulder defensively as he got ready to launch at the other boy.

"Enough!" Yoshimura stepped between them. "Why would you act in such a way here?"

"He's a human, and humans want to exterminate us!" The young boy spoke out, only to yelp as he received a chop on the head from Renji.

The bearded man was quick to say, "I've been told of this child, Ayato. He has been raised from infancy by a ghoul. I doubt he has desires to see us, let alone his own mother, buried six feet under."

The boy looking suitably chagrined, muttered out, "Sorry, Harry."

"It's alright. I'd be wary of me too. But now we can be friends right? I would really like to get to know some people my own age."

Ayato seemed surprised by the offer, but nodded nonetheless. He'd never really had a friend before, but he kept hearing how fun they were so maybe it would be nice.

Meanwhile the girl curiously moved out from his shadow and crossed the floor to inspect the new boy more closely. Now that the apparent danger had passed, she found herself getting deep into his personal space as she perused him. "Why don't you smell tasty?"

"I don't know."

"Why do you only have one eye?"

"An accident when I was a baby."

"Is your mom really a ghoul?"

"Yes."

"Will you be my friend too?" The last was spoken in a nervous voice as she pressed her fingers together, and Harry found it absolutely adorable. "Of course. Do you want to go and play?"

"Sure!"

They made to head down to the basement levels where they could actually freely move about, and Ayato was quick to follow, "Wait up!" trustworthy human or not, he wouldn't let his sister wander off alone just after finding a safe haven.

As the trio took off, Yoshimura and Renji couldn't help smirking at each other. The quick way that bonds formed amongst the young was just precious. "You said you had special tasks for me to complete?" Renji wanted to know.

"Oh yes, I provide risk free meat for those that don't have the time, ability, or skills to hunt for themselves. I'll give you a list of popular suicide destinations and you will go to pick up the bodies to supply the food."

"Excellent."

The Sublevels

Anteiku had been built over an entrance to the subterranean tunnels and pipes of Tokyo, and that space was often used as a training ground and transit pipeline for ghouls. Harry and his new friends were using it for play, however, and they had been going at it for a good two hours when they were finally interrupted.

Ayato and Touka had their Kagune out and were using them to alter their airborne trajectory as they launched off walls and the ceiling, and Harry was impressing them both by keeping up with kicks from his powerful legs off the walls when they heard a melodious voice intone, "Harry, it's time to train."

At once the green eyed boy dropped back to the ground and his new friends watched as he ran back to the entrance to hug a purple haired woman that had just arrived. "Who is she?" Ayato wanted to know.

"That's Rize Kamishiro." Touka answered. "Mr. Yoshimura pointed her out when we got here. Didn't you pay attention at all when he was showing us around?"

Ayato's blush was the only answer she needed. "Maybe we should go say hello?" Her suggestion was met with a nod of approval and the siblings quickly bounded over to the mother and son.

"Oh hello, you're the new children, yes?" The purplette asked.

"They're my friends, mom." Harry answered with a cheeky smile.

"My, you do work fast, Harry. I approve. It is nice to meet you two, but it's time for Harry's daily training so he'll need to continue playing with you another time. Run along back upstairs now."

"Can't they stay, mom?" Harry begged. He'd just gotten a couple of friends who actually got to see the real him and he wasn't in a hurry to be taken from their sight just yet.

"Hm, I suppose, as long as they stay out of the way." Rize never could deny her son anything. Looking at the others she asked, "Is that alright? You'll be pretty bored I'm sure." Instead of answering verbally the two newbies scampered over to the wall and sat down against it to watch. "I guess it is alright with them. Alright, Harry, you know what to do."

Indeed he did. The boy quickly stripped to the waist to free his movement and folded his blazer and dress shirt safely away from where he'd be training momentarily.

"Alright, so today we are going to work on evasion." Rize's kagune extended from the small of her back in four beautiful tentacles that quickly pointed directly at her son's body like mobile spears. "Dodge!" At her shout they launched across the distance, spiked tentacles of death homing in on their target.

As he had been taught earlier, Harry waited until the last possible second and with minimum waste of movement stepped safely aside before each tentacle would have made a smashing contact with his body, gently slapping his palm on each one as he did. Had he punched them with his full strength there was a chance the concussive force would have caused serious damage to his mom's inbuilt weapons. The point of this exercise was to train his evasion, situational awareness, and ability to counterattack.

Such practice as this had begun when he was four years old. Yoshimura of course had protested such violent acts for one so young, but even then Rize had seen how smart and advanced her little boy was. The way he looked at the world, spoke, and moved, were all far beyond what a child of his age should have been capable of. So of course physical training came just as early. Now his speed, strength, and dexterity were all on a level that would make him the envy of many a ghoul hunter, and he was only getting better. Oh she could just imagine the damage he could cause when he actually grew up, and the thoughts made her giddy enough to double the pace of her attacks. It brought no end to her joy to see her little one so easily keeping up.

Three Years Later

Harry Kamishiro, age ten, was enjoying the last few weeks of summer by sitting on the roof with his friends reading a new book by his favorite author when the strangest thing happened. A literal flaming lizard crawled up the side of the building and slithered along the ground to his side before being consumed in its own fire, leaving a still smoldering letter behind as its ashes blew away in the wind. "Well that is just strange." He promptly picked it up and read the contents. "And this is even stranger." With his friends watching on curiously he promptly got up from his chair and descended the floors of the living space to enter the apartment portion of the building once more.

"Hey mom," he called as he entered the living room where Rize was doing some yoga. "I got a letter."

"Really?" She stopped what she was doing and grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the perspiration from her face. "Who from? One of your classmates?"

"Nope. Remember how you said I was probably magical when I asked about my strength and speed?" He passed over the letter and said, "Apparently you were right. That's from the Tokyo Magical Institute. I've been accepted as a new student."

Rize read the letter at once to confirm what he was saying. "That's fantastic, honey, but what about your regular schooling? You've worked so hard on it so far that it seems a shame to just stop."

"Well that says a representative will be coming to introduce me to the Japanese Magical World tomorrow. Maybe that person will have some ideas?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'll make sure to have Kaya cover my shift so I can come with you." She approached and pulled her son into a tight hug. By the gods she loved hugging her son. He was just so warm and cuddly. "This is a big moment for you and I would be one shitty mom if I wasn't there to support you."

"Thanks mom, you're the best."

"Damned right. Now do you want to join me for the rest of this yoga session?"

"That sounds awesome!"

The Next Day

The representative arrived at ten o'clock on the dime. She was dressed in a smart pantsuit and had a blonde bobbed haircut that was so regulation in nature that it barely seemed to move as she bowed to the mother and son that met her outside of the coffee shop. "Greetings, my name is Kasuka Mado, Agent First Class for the CCG."

That announcement gave both Harry and his mother pause. "I'm sorry, Ms. Mado," Rize began, "But we were expecting another representative."

"Oh there is no mistake. I am who you are waiting for. The CCG doesn't just handle ghouls anymore. Due to our experience handling extraordinary events and situations we have also been tasked with acting as go-betweens for the Japanese government and the Japanese Magical World. I and other agents like me are sent to new age magical families like yours to help officiate new introductions and ease transitions. Additionally the Japanese aurors, or magical police, have been absorbed into our organizational structure as well. It has really enhanced our efficiency."

"That makes a great deal of sense." Harry noted.

Bowing in kind, Rize said, "I am Rize Kamishiro, and this is my son, Harry. We are happy to meet you."

"You seem very young to be his mother."

"He's adopted, and I have great genetics."

The woman raised a brow but otherwise didn't say anything else about that statement. "Very well. Before we begin our tour, do you have any questions?"

"Yes." Harry raised a hand, "I have spent a lot of time and effort advancing my mundane education so far and it seems a waste to go to another school and just abandon all the work I've put in. Especially with how hard my mom has worked to pay for the schools I've gone to. Would attending this Magical Institute force me to abandon the facility I already attend?"

The blonde woman thought about that question and adjusted her glasses back up her nose before answering. "Honestly, no. I meant to bring this up a little later but we can discuss it now to ease your worries. I took a look at your academic history before coming here today and you qualify for special considerations. Your grades are excellent, your prospects wide, and your IQ is quite impressive. Honestly if you continue at the pace you've been going, and there's no reason to think that you won't, then the current Institute curriculum would only hold you back over time. That being said, there are magical exam benchmarks you are required by law to meet for the safety of yourself and others. So, you will not need to attend our national school as a boarding student. Instead a tutor will be employed at your current school and you will attend lessons with him every day after your regular classes are completed. Think of it as a magical cram school."

"Huh, I thought since the general public doesn't know about magic then it would be a full immersion thing." Rize noted.

"For many countries it is, but our government is more involved with our magical community than many other parts of the world. And when exceptional students like Harry arrive we don't like to limit them. It would be a waste if he didn't finish his mundane education as well as the magical."

Having received the answer he wanted, Harry bowed happily to the older woman. "Thank you for clearing that up. So what is on the docket for today?"

Kasuka noted the fine way of speaking that the young man had. For a ten year old he was very well behaved and showed a maturity far beyond his years. She had been told of this of course by his teachers, but seeing it was something else entirely. "Well today we will give you a tour of the magical shopping district, purchase your school supplies and magical focus, show you the actual school that you will be traveling to for exams, and provide you with a coursebook to begin your arcane studies."

"That sounds amazing. Please lead the way."

The Mado woman quickly spun on her heels and took off down the street at a brisk pace, her charges quick to follow. Along the way she started to consider what to do about the theories that had been building up in her head about the purple haired woman during their conversation.

The magical shopping district turned out to be a series of self-contained shopping stalls and storefronts hidden in an absolutely massive secret cavern underneath Akihabara. While there Harry purchased a series of blank sealing notes, several ink sticks, brushes, and potion ingredients. The search for a magical focus was rather interesting as there were four separate types to choose from, each denoting a particular area of magical potential. In terms of magical learning, Japan tended to focus on the master of one trait more than the jack of all trades. It made their mages experts in their fields, if slightly less versatile than their western counterparts. Wands were used primarily by those that focused on transfiguration and conjuration. Staffs were used by those whose potential lay in force projection and battle magic. Engraving tools and scalpels were for those that had the ability to be enchanters and rune smiths, and magical rings and amulets were for those who could access the rare abilities of elemental manipulation.

It was the latter that called to Harry. They'd tried three separate foci shops without success when the boy stopped in the middle of the street with a strange buzzing feeling crawling up his spine. Following his instincts, he traced that feeling down two back alleys to a particular shop with traditional wood paneling. Inside were dozens of shelves absolutely packed with hundreds of different jewelry pieces. As his mom and guide watched on he approached the aged shopkeeper and said, "Excuse me, sir. There is something special behind your desk. I can feel it calling to me."

The man he spoke to was so old that his skin looked like hardened leather, but the smile that broke out on his face at those words made him seem thirty years younger. "Was wondering when someone would come to claim this one. My family has been holding onto it since the first Western ships landed on our shores." He reached down under the wood of his desk and pulled out a square metal box which he promptly unlatched and opened for all to see. Inside was a beautifully designed object that practically glowed with magical energy.

"I give you the amulet of the Iron Druid." The old man practically sang out. "They say it was forged by the last true druid on this earth after the Romans invaded Britain, but I'm not sure how much faith I put in that story. Either way it is old and powerful, and if it likes you you can take it. Go on, pick it up, lad."

Harry eyed the piece warily. It had a long chain and appeared to be made of iron with a round unembossed disk on the end. Along either end of that disk, tracing up the sides of the chain, were several engraved charms. On an initial inspection he saw a bear, a stag, a horse, an otter, an owl, a shield, snake, flower, whale, and finally a raven. For some reason that last was the only one with any color as it was lined with black in the grooves. The whole thing gave off an ancient feeling just by sitting there.

"Go on, Harry. It'll be fine." Rize smiled in support, and her son nodded before steeling himself and reaching forth to clasp the center disk in his hand. There was a bright glow of warm light at the contact that seemed to raise the spirits of everyone present before the intensity raised immensely and the walls of the shop began to creak dangerously under the magical pressure. As soon as it started it ceased, and calm returned to the world once more, but there was not a single person present that was not impressed.

"Well then, that about settles it." The shopkeeper smirked before standing up on creaking legs. "Stand still, lad." Harry did so and the man gently took the iron chained amulet from his grasp and clasped it around his neck. "Always good to see a new elementalist in my shop. Study hard and use that focus well, and I'm sure you'll make us all proud."

"Thank you, sir."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm just glad I lived long enough to see that item claimed. Now run along, I'm sure you have more to see and do yet today."

And indeed they did. After that little bit of excitement they traveled by runic doorways to Kyoto where the Magical Institute was located. The structure was a very large traditional castle that stood atop a wide glenn looking down on the grand city below. According to Kasuka, the amount of wards needed to keep the thing from being seen by the normies were astronomical, but the history behind it was too great to even consider tearing it down or relocating. They grabbed a series of coursebooks and study material from the library on the top floor and then returned to the coffee shop the same way they'd left.

"Good evening, Harry, Ms. Kamishiro. As your government liaison and eventual proctor for your state tests, I will be checking in occasionally to provide updates and check on your progress. I anticipate a great future for you, young Mr. Kamishiro."

"I certainly hope so." Harry bowed to the older woman. "Thank you for your guidance today."

"Think nothing of it. Goodbye." Without another word, the woman left the family of two behind to discuss the excitement of the day.

The Mado Residence

Kasuka returned home to find her husband at the dinner table helping their daughter with her homework. Akira was such a studious girl, and it made her happy to see how seriously she was taking her education. Now that she thought about it, her daughter was only about a year or so older than the boy she had just been escorting. Small world.

"Kureo, could you come help me quick, I've got a few groceries outside that need a big strong man to carry."

Her husband laughed in his off kilter way at the suggestion. "Darling, you're twice as strong as I am. I doubt I'll be much help if it's really that difficult to carry them inside."

"Just get out here." This time he picked up on the underlying seriousness of her tone and acquiesced.

"Try what we talked about on questions four through six and I'll check the answers when I get back." He kissed Akira's head and exited the door, closing it behind him to join his wife outside. "Now what was so important that you needed to say it where our daughter couldn't overhear?"

"I think I've found a ghoul in hiding. It wasn't obvious, and I don't have proof, but my instincts are almost never wrong."

At once her husband's face lit up with delight. "Excellent! Just wait here and I'll go grab my quinque."

Kasuka wasn't having it though, and grasped her husband's elbow before he could run back inside for his weaponized briefcase. "We can't do that, Kureo. Not yet."

"What? Why not?" The man gave his wife a questioning glare, and she sighed at his usual need to end a threat at once without thinking. He kept forgetting that they weren't exterminators, but investigators and protectors of the public good, and the sad thing was that some ghouls actually served society better by existing than by being taken out of public circulation.

"The boy I was introducing to the magical world is her adopted son."

"And?"

"And by god, Kureo, the potential at his hands is staggering. His IQ tests were off the charts, if his teachers could sing his praises any higher they'd all be tenors and falsettos, and the magical energy I felt coming out of him today was enough to conceivably level entire city blocks. Just think what good he could do if he eventually joined the CCG or at least worked alongside us?"

Finally, it seemed to click in her battle-obsessed husband's brain and his shoulders slumped with disappointment. "And he probably won't do that if the CCG kills his mom will he?"

"Not likely from what I saw today. As strange as it is to believe, that woman genuinely seems to love the boy, and his feelings are definitely mutual."

"How do we handle this, Kasuka?"

"By keeping it quiet for now. I'm the boy's case manager as far as his education goes, and once he's old enough I'll begin testing the waters to see how open he is to working with the CCG. Perhaps we could offer to bury any investigations that get too close to his mom in return for his cooperation?"

"You're actually serious about this?"

"I am." Kasuka nodded. "Trust me, that boy is going to be something else when he grows up."