Disclaimer: I do not own any of this and any of this belongs to the original creators.
WORLD OF HEARTS
LINKED AS ONE
Act 3
Chapter 2
Home Sweet Home
Kizuna was sitting on the plane making its way to Haneda Airport. He looked at Madoka, who was sleeping on the plane. He and the group were on a private plane that Daybreak students would use to get around the world. Thanks to a navigational computer, the plane is capable of flying by itself. Kizuna brushed Madoka's hair. He got up and saw Ruby come up to him.
"Oh, hey, Ruby," Kizuna said. "What's up?"
"Well... uh..." Ruby looked side to side. "Can you show me that other version of your keyblade again?"
"Hmm? You mean Accel Booster?" Kizuna asked. "Why?"
"Oh come on, you know why," Ruby said.
"You might as well show her," Sora said.
Kizuna got up, materialized his keyblade, and changed it to Accel Booster. The blade was again swapped out with the three exhaust pipes connected by an engine located at the base of the keyblade. The handle looked like a motorcycle handle.
"Oooh..." Ruby said as she looked at it. "It looks so... metal."
"Yeah, it sure does," Kizuna said.
"Can I hold it?" Ruby asked.
Kizuna wasn't sure if he could hand his keyblade to her. He reluctantly hands the keyblade to her. Ruby holds it aloft, eyeing the keyblade with curiosity and childlike innocence. She gave the keyblade a once over.
"How did you manage to get this thing to change forms?" Ruby asked. "Is there a hidden switch? No, it's probably voice-activated."
Kizuna raised his hand and the keyblade flew back into his hand.
"Aww..." Ruby bemoaned before looking down.
"Ruby, do you have a... thing for weapons?" Kizuna asked.
Ruby perked up immediately. "Well, duh, of course, I have a thing for weapons! How else did you think I built a scythe that has a built-in high-capacity sniper rifle?"
Kizuna began to show reasonable worry.
"Y-You mean... that scythe of yours... was made by you?" Kizuna asked.
"Yup," Ruby said, puffing her chest in pride. "I made it myself."
"I... I'm at a loss for words..." Kizuna said.
"I know, I amaze even myself at times," Ruby said. "So tell me, how do you get your keyblade to change forms?"
"Oh, that? Why it's simple," Kizuna said. "All I have to do is just think."
Ruby raised a brow. She started to slouch and look disappointed. "That's it?"
"Yeah..." Kizuna said, feeling awkward. "Keyblades are shaped by the soul, after all."
"That sounds... awesome!" Ruby looked excited again. "A weapon you can change with your mind!"
She held his hand.
"Do you think I'll get a keyblade? Do you? Do you?" Ruby asked.
"Um... uh... one day, I guess..." Kizuna laughed nervously. 'God help me if she does...'
He felt his bond with Ruby was getting stronger. He heard a yawn and turned to see Madoka getting up. She got up from the seat.
"Are we there yet?" Madoka asked.
"Almost," Izuku said, entering the room. "Get seated. We're about to land."
Kizuna nodded and sat down along with Madoka. The plane landed at the airport and Kizuna and the group got out. They grabbed their luggage. The group begins to leave the airport. Kizuna wondered how much had changed since he left Tokyo. He could feel the gaze of other people looking at him. Sora's projection was following Kizuna. He looked at some of the people looking at Kizuna.
"You seem popular," Sora said. "I guess some people—"
'Not everyone here thinks I'm a hero,' Kizuna thought.
Kizuna knew that more than Sora did. Kizuna thought back to the fight he had with Kureo and Amon, and how that incident was resolved. Someone, some bystander, had recorded and uploaded the fight onto the internet and the public caught wind of it. The CCG, knowing damn well that they had pissed off a member of the Keyblade Order, one of which was a Dominant, all while facing mounting pressure from the public, turned Kureo into a scapegoat, publicly saying that Kureo acted on his own and attacked a woman who he thought was a ghoul supposedly out of insanity and his partner had no choice but to hack off one of Kureo's limbs to stop him from attacking a boy who intervened. They didn't bother with an official investigation and Kureo was forced to turn in his badge and be suspended from active duty. As usual, the public was divided on the issue, with some calling for Kizuna's arrest, given his involvement in the incident, while others argued that the CCG had begun to sink low for letting one of their investigators attack someone who could have turned out to be human.
Kizuna hated how it all ended. Kizuna felt responsible for costing a man his entire career, even if he felt he was right in protecting Ryouko from a homicidal maniac. His mother taught him that a real hero protects those who are in danger and protects the innocent. But was destroying an entire man's career worth saving someone's life?
No. Kizuna shook his head. He did what he thought was right. That man could have killed her and left Hinami as an orphan. He couldn't sit back and let it all happen. Mado had to be stopped. It was the only thing he could do. He wasn't going to let people suffer.
"Hey, isn't that kid who was on the news?"
"Yeah, the ghoul sympathizer..."
"How could he protect one of those monsters?"
"Maybe he's a half-ghoul..."
"Mommy, why is everyone saying bad things about him? Didn't he protect the city from a scary monster?"
"That poor kid... having to fight some deranged madman..."
"Even if she was a ghoul, he shouldn't have taken his anger out on some kid..."
"The CCG is becoming out of touch."
Kizuna began to walk faster. The group was following him. Madoka and Izuku looked worried about what they were saying about Kizuna.
As soon as they walked out of the airport, Kizuna spotted his mother, Eva, waiting for them.
"Mother..." Kizuna said. "I-I'm home."
"Welcome back, my son," Eva said. "I see you brought All Might's successor, a silver-eyed warrior, and a shaman with a samurai spirit following him."
Izuku looked surprised. "Wait, how did you—?"
"How did I know?" Eva asked. "I didn't become a Keyblade Master because I was strong. I have more cunning than most masters dared to admit."
"A Keyblade Master?!" Everyone but Yoh exclaimed. Izuku looked at Kizuna.
Kizuna scratched the back of his head. "I know... I'm a bit embarrassed to say it myself..."
"Kizu-kun..." Madoka said as she looked at him before bowing and looking at her. "I-I'm Madoka Kaname!"
"Wow, your mom is amazing!" Ruby said, hopping up and down before shaking Eva's hands. "I'm Ruby Rose! It's such an honor to meet you!"
"I-I can't believe I got to meet an actual Keyblade Master..." Izuku said in awe. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I'm one of your son's classmates."
Yoh steps forward. "Yoh Asakura."
"Eva Daichi," Eva said. "It's good to see that my son is in good company. Follow me to the mansion, those two Doves are waiting for us."
"Doves?" Ruby asked.
"CCG investigators," Izuku said. "Their badges resemble doves, hence why some are called Doves."
"W-Wait, Mom, hold on," Kizuna said.
"Hm?" Eva looked at Kizuna with a raised brow. "What is it?"
"Well... it's just... now that I'm back, I... I have some stuff to do." Kizuna said. "I was feeling homesick earlier today and... well..."
"Very well then, do as you wish," Eva said. "But don't keep me waiting. We have guests."
"R-Right, Mother," Kizuna said.
Eva walks off. Kizuna sighed and looked at his friends.
"Well, I guess it's time I showed you to a cafe I know," Kizuna said. "Come on, we'll catch a train to Nerima."
Nerima, Tokyo, Japan
Kizuna and his friends stopped in front of a building. The building looked old from the outside. Kizuna smiled as he looked at the building. This was Anteiku, a cafe he and his stepmother frequent around during the morning. It was a short distance from the house, the coffee was good and he knew all the members, even the new guys. He opened the door and stepped inside, bringing his friends with him. Inside were several men and women dressed as waiters. Among them was an old man with swept-back white hair and his eyes were closed. He was tall and he was smiling with his head held high with one arm behind his back. His name was Yoshimura. Kizuna always called him Yoshi or Old Man Yoshi. For Kizuna, the man was like a father or even a grandfather to him.
"Ah, Kizuna, you're back, and you brought friends," Yoshimura said. "What brings you home, young man?"
"Well, I'm here on official Daybreak business," Kizuna said. "But I felt like I needed to stop by."
The old man chuckled. "So, you passed the entrance exams. Good. I'm sure your father would be proud to know that his son is following in his footsteps."
"And who are the two girls you brought home with you?" A man with a brown-haired pompadour asked. "Is one of them competing for your heart? Or are you too busy deciding which one to marry?"
Kizuna blushed. "K-Koma-san, it's not like that! T-They're my friends!"
Koma smirks. Koma always was the talkative, playful type. A woman with long black hair with a reserved disposition looked at Koma.
"Come on, Koma, don't tease the boy, not while the kid who fought off the Yakuza and went toe-to-toe with Shigaraki Tomura is next to him," The woman said.
"Oh come on, Kaya, he's not going to get any younger," Koma said. "Even heroes like Kizu here know that the life of a hero can become a solitary one."
A young man with glasses walked up to Kizuna and took a whiff of him.
"Well, you certainly don't smell any different," The man said. "You've been washing behind your ears, right?"
"H-Hey, Nishio-san, I always wash behind my ears!" Kizuna said.
"Sure you do," Nishio said sarcastically. "Maybe take 15 more showers and just maybe, I'll believe you."
Kizuna realized that someone was missing.
"Where's Hoito-chan?" Kizuna asked.
"She's currently out right now," Yoshimura said. "So, mind introducing your friends?"
"Oh yeah," Kizuna turned to his friends. "Guys, this is Anteiku. My mom and I usually go here in the morning. Old man Yoshimura runs the place. The guy with the big nose is Koma. Irimi is the girl with the black hair. She keeps to herself at times. This guy with the glasses is Nishio. Kaneki-san and Kirishima-san used to work here."
"Wait, Kirishima's cousin used to work here?" Izuku asked. "Does that mean-?"
Kizuna covered his mouth. "Not so loud," he whispered.
"Cousin? Touka never mentioned having a cousin," Nishio said.
"She does," Yoshimura said. "Remember Red Riot's debut?"
"You mean that guy who was on the media?" Koma asked.
"Yes, I found Touka looking at that post while she was working behind the counter," Yoshimura said. "Turns out, she knew him. She told me that her cousin's dad was taken into her family before he left town to start a new life in Musutafu. I think her cousin was named... Eijirou, right?"
Izuku nodded. Kizuna removed his hand from Izuku's mouth.
"I'm his classmate, Izuku Midoriya," Izuku said. "With me is Yoh Asakura, Ruby Rose, and Madoka Kaname."
"A pleasure to meet you," The four said.
Kizuna smiled as he looked at Yoshimura. "Well, me and my friends are in for a long night, so we'd like some coffee."
"Very well, consider it on the house," Yoshimura said. "How would you like your coffee?"
"As black and bitter as my soul..." Ruby said with a sinister voice, angling her head down a bit and smiling with a sinister look.
"Creme and sugar for the young lady, Koma," Yoshimura said.
"Aww..." Ruby bemoaned.
"I'll have mine with creme," Madoka said.
"I guess I'll have black coffee," Izuku said.
"I'll just have green tea," Yoh said.
"I'll have black coffee," Kizuna said.
The five students sat at a table together. Kizuna looked at his friends Koma and Irimi brought over the cups.
"So, Kizu, how are Ryouko and Hinami doing?" Koma asked.
"They moved in just fine," Kizuna said. "I think they're enjoying life there. Hinami's my classmate too."
"And Kaneki and Touka?" Koma asked.
"They're adjusting just nicely," Kizuna said. "I was surprised when I saw them in my class, but it's good to have some people from home with me at school."
"Good to know that it's not just you who's going to Daybreak," Koma said.
Kizuna was sipping his coffee with his friends. He was enjoying his time here with his friends. Drinking coffee with friends was something he wanted to experience first hand and he was enjoying every second of it. He thought back to when he first Yoshimura. It was when his mother brought him to Anteiku for the first time during elementary school. Eva took him to Anteiku for breakfast. He was quick to bond with the old man. Yoshimura was a wise man who taught him many things that he chose to live by to this very day. He loved the taste and smell of coffee and Anteiku's coffee was the best.
"Man, this coffee is the best!" Ruby said. "Now I see why Professor Oobleck likes coffee so much."
"And this tea is just right," Yoh said. "I could almost taste the sweet aroma of the tea."
"And this creme is just the best~" Madoka said.
"Already, I feel like I can tackle the rest of the day..." Izuku said.
Kizuna drinks his coffee.
"Thank you, old man Yoshi," Kizuna said.
Yoshimura nodded. "It's good have you come home, Kizuna."
Eva's Estate
Eva's mansion was a traditional Japanese mansion that was surrounded by a wall with a gate that was being protected by women dressed in black maid costumes. The women were YoRHa androids, one of the most advanced types of androids made by Nor Technologies. The YorHa series androids were distinct by their black clothes and black blindfolds that they wore over their eyes. Amon and Akira were outside the main gate that was being protected by two female android guards.
"Seems like Mrs. Daichi must be quite wealthy," Akira said.
"Well, she inherited all the money from her father after he passed away," Amon said. "Her father was a politician, but Mrs. Daichi didn't seem interested in politics."
"Wasn't her father part of the Reformist party?" Akira asked.
"Her father is a Reformist?" Amon asked. "You mean the same political party that wants control over the CCG?"
"The same political party that's been pushing for Human-Ghoul coexistence," Akira said.
"They look so far ahead into the future that they're blind to what's happening in the present," Amon said. "Then again, I can't blame them for that. Not when the world was a living hell 20 years ago. Back then, people were willing to do just about anything to survive. Yesterday's heroes either die or live long enough to become villains."
"But the CCG has been protecting the people ever since it was founded, yes?" Akira asked.
Amon sighed. She had a point. For years the CCG has been protecting the people of Tokyo from ghouls, but even something seen as a symbol of protection is bound to be seen as a symbol of oppression in the changing sands of time. Lately, public opinion on the CCG has gradually changed. People are changing, nations are changing, and the world is changing, for better or worse. Opinions change along with people. With 80% of the human population having superpowers, the necessity of the CCG was brought into question. It was only after the nation started to suffer a crisis that threatened to cause a societal collapse that people were losing faith in the CCG and hero society. The incident with Mado only made people feel even less faithful to the CCG.
"True, but now... now I'm not so sure about my place in the CCG," Amon said. "Never before has a human tried to protect a ghoul before, and the punishment for that is death. It was written in the Ghoul Countermeasures Law. People are supposed to follow that law and we're supposed to enforce it. But the part where I may have to detain a person for helping a ghoul, knowing that they'll be facing the death penalty for it? Or even a life in prison with no chance of parole? How could I do that, especially if that person is a child? I'd either have to stop being human to willingly do it."
"Is that why you tried to stop your last partner?" Akira asked him.
Amon gripped his metal case tightly at the memory. He never wanted to see that side of Mado ever again. The side of his partner who was willing to slaughter a child out of frustration to kill a ghoul that had a child herself. He wished he could erase that memory or pretend that it was all just a bad dream.
"Look, your father... he wasn't in his right mind when he-"
"The past is the past," Another woman's voice was heard.
Amon and Akira turned around to see Eva. Standing next to her was a female YorHa android with two swords to her back, suspended in midair.
"Was I interrupting something?" Eva asked.
"No, not at all," Akira said. "Where are the students?"
"They'll be along shortly," Eva said. "2B, escort our guests inside. Take them to the garden. I'll have 6O make tea for our guests."
"Yes, mistress," The android named 2B bows and looks to the guards. They open the door and the four head inside. As they walked onto the estate grounds, several white foxes were looking at the four. The foxes went over to Eva, who kneeled. The foxes surrounded her and climbed onto her, yipping as they rubbed their heads against her.
"Foxes?" Amon asked.
"The kitsune are considered sacred in Shintoism as celestial foxes that serve Inari Okami, the goddess of fertility, agriculture, and industry," 2B said. "Lady Eva loved foxes when she was only a child."
"But aren't kitsune also considered dreaded tricksters and seductresses?" Akira asked.
"Depends on whether they are good or bad," 2B said.
Eva smiled as she was in the company of the foxes. She got up and the foxes raced over to the pond. Amon watched as the foxes headed for the pond. He never had seen foxes anywhere in the city, let alone white foxes. Most people see foxes out in the countryside, where they can be seen going after rats and digging under the fields. He had never been to the countryside. Tokyo was the only place that felt like home to him. Maybe one day, he'll go see the countryside for himself. It would certainly be a good break from all the madness that goes on in Tokyo.
Cemetery
Kizuna and his friends were in the cemetery. Kizuna decided to visit his father's grave. He kneeled at his father's grave and looked at the tombstone.
"Hey Dad, I... I came back," Kizuna said. "I got myself a keyblade and now I'm a student of Daybreak Academy. I hope that maybe I'll be taken into the Keyblade Academy to be part of the Order. I promised myself I would become a keyblade master. I found someone who would help me get there. His name is Balan. He's a keyblade master like Mom is. Oh, and I brought some friends with me from school."
Izuku and the other three looked at Kizuna.
"You know, I wonder what my dad is thinking about right now," Izuku said. "He's still working overseas and... well... I've tried calling him, but all I get are his voicemails."
"Do you remember what your dad looks like?" Madoka asked.
"Yeah, I..." Izuku felt a throbbing sensation in his head. He tried to remember what his father looked like, He shook his head. "I don't know..."
"You don't know?" Madoka asked. "I can remember my father. He lives in Mitakihara with my mother and baby brother. He's a tomato farmer while my mom works in the office."
"I haven't seen my dad in... well... I guess it's been a long time since I saw him," Yoh said. "Though he might still be wearing that wooden mask of his."
"My dad still lives in Patch," Ruby said. "He's full of dad jokes though..."
"O-Oh and guess what, Dad," Kizuna said. "I'm... Sora's reincarnation. It's a long story, but the short of it is that I have the heart of a legendary hero with me!"
He materialized his keyblade. "He and I are going to travel the world together and with my friends by my side, we'll keep the world safe!" He puts the keyblade down and puts his hands together. He takes a deep breath.
"Ieyui nobomeno
Renmiri yojuyogo
Hasa teka nae kutamae"
"That song... sounds beautiful..." Ruby said. "And it sounds so soothing..."
"Yeah... it does..." Izuku said.
"Kizuna, are you perhaps, a Yevonite?" Yoh asked.
"No..." Kizuna said. "It's a song that my grandma taught me. It's a way to... soothe the souls of the dead."
"A song to soothe the souls of the dead, huh?" Izuku said, looking down as his thoughts drifted to the late Sir Nighteye and all those heroes who died during the raid on that hospital.
Kizuna got up and looked at his friends. "You know, I think he'd be proud of me if he saw me now."
"I'm sure he would," Izuku said. "We should probably get going."
"And that you should," A female voice grabbed their attention.
Kizuna turned to see a gynoid with long, wild silver hair and pale light blue eyes. Parts of her artificial skin were missing, exposing parts of the gynoid's undercoat. The exposed hypodermic areas looked similar to gloves, a sleeveless shirt, and hot pants with thigh-high boots. Stripped layers of her body were prevalent over her body. Her clothes looked worn and tattered.
"Ms. A2?" Kizuna asked as he looked at her.
"Your mother is wondering what's taking so long," A2 said. "Now come along, we don't have all day."
"You're a YorHa android," Izuku said. "I didn't know your mother could afford one."
"Well, my mother's father used to be a politician before he died," Kizuna said. "She's quite rich."
"What's a YoRHa?" Ruby asked.
Izuku looked at Ruby. "The YoRHa series androids are top-of-the-line androids that run on magitek built by Nor Technologies. The androids serve a variety of roles nowadays, ranging from construction work, office work, housekeeping, law enforcement, you name it, they're built for it. Incredibly durable, flexible, and highly intelligent, and they can use magic as well. They possess human emotions."
"And I'm standing right here," A2 said. "Now get moving, I don't have all day."
Kizuna shrugged and the group followed the android. Kizuna remembered coming to his mother's mansion all the time, meeting the various androids that served under his mother. He loved being around some of the androids as they were the only closest people he had for friends. He wondered how the androids were at the mansion.
Eva's Estate
Kizuna and his friends followed A2 inside the manor. Madoka and Ruby looked around, awestruck by the interior. A2 led them to a door with two guards holding naginata. They stood to attention as A2 slid the door open, letting the group inside. Inside, Eva was having tea with Amon and Akira. Sitting next to Eva was 2B, Eva's guard. A2 sat beside Eva. Amon turned to see the group, only to look surprised.
"Kizuna?" Amon asked. "What are you-?"
"We're here on a mission here," Izuku said. "It was your branch that asked for assistance, right, Mr..."
"Amon. Koutarou Amon," Amon said. "Truth be told... I was the one who requested it."
"Huh?" Kizuna asked. "You're the one who gave us the mission?!"
Amon sighed. "I was surprised that you of all people would take this mission..."
"Have a seat, all of you," Eva said. "Now then, investigator Amon, could you care to explain the situation to these children?"
Amon begrudgingly nods, pulling out a folder. "This here contains all the findings the police department and the CCG have made into this investigation."
He puts it down and opens it. Then, he passes some photos and records to the five students. Izuku carefully reviews the photos and records. Ruby stares at the photos, and Madoka also looks at them.
"The missing people happen to work for the CCG," Akira said. "We don't know why these people are being snatched, but what we can assume is that they may have been kidnapped."
"Wait... these people here, aren't these guys ghoul investigators?" Izuku asked. "Why are these people being taken?"
"That's what we've been trying to figure out," Akira said. "They all happen to be senior investigators, many of which have plenty of combat experience. Their quinques have also gone missing. Both the police and the CCG fear that the quinques are being stolen and are most likely being sold on the black market."
"Selling quinques on the black market?" Kizuna asked.
"They're the most effective weapons against Ghouls," Akira said. "After the disaster that was the Jakuu Hospital Raid, more and more people are trying to arm themselves despite LOGOS trying to help keep the peace in Japan. We found quinques and support items being sold off on the black market. Given the current state of Japan, it's no wonder why people are willing to risk getting arrested if it gives them the chance to defend themselves. People are already losing faith in heroes ever since some heroes have chosen to quit early. People are also beginning to lose faith in the CCG after what happened a few months ago."
Izuku clenches his fist. "But if that's the case, why haven't the investigators turned up? If the kidnappers wanted only their quinques, why not release the investigators? Why hold onto them?"
"Maybe the kidnappers are being cautious," Yoh said. "They wouldn't let their victims go if there was a slight chance that their operations could be exposed."
"No," Kizuna said. "There could be another explanation."
"Another explanation?" Madoka asked.
"The Ghoul Restaurant," Kizuna said. "I heard about it from some news articles. Supposedly, they're a secret society of Ghouls that, as the name suggests, operate an underground restaurant that sells human flesh to rich patrons. These investigators are likely being sold off as fresh meat."
"How cruel..." Madoka said, covering her mouth in horror.
"Yikes," Ruby said.
"Wait... no... but maybe..." Izuku muttered to himself, turning away from the others. "But is something like that possible?"
Amon looked at Izuku. "Do you have another theory?"
Izuku looked at Amon. "You know what a Nomu is, right?"
"Bio-engineered monsters made using human corpses that have been altered to possess enhanced physical prowess and house multiple Quirks," Akira said. "From what I've heard, All for One is known to be involved in the process, given that his quirk allows him to pass on quirks to other individuals. But, supposing he's absent from the process, it would have to take a talented surgeon to transplant Quirk factors into a Nomu's body and a highly sufficient lab would be needed to maintain them."
"And there's only one person who can pull that off," Izuku said. "A man by the name of Doctor Garaki. According to police records, Garaki was a scientist who was researching the Quirk Doomsday theory, a theory that suggests that Quirks will become so powerful and complex that they'll become uncontrollable."
"So... walking superpowered zombies?" Ruby asked.
"Z-Zombies?" Madoka shook from the thought.
"Monsters made from corpses..." Yoh shook his head. "But what does that have to do with-?"
Kizuna got up. "No... you can't be serious..."
Akira looked at Kizuna. "What is it?"
"Think about it this way," Kizuna said as he looked at Akira. "Why stop at transplanting quirks when you can go the extra mile?"
"What extra mile?" Izuku asked.
"Creating artificial one-eyed Ghouls," Kizuna said.
Amon's eyes went wide as he stood up. "Artificial one-eyed ghouls?!"
"Yes," Kizuna said. "You can make a one-eyed ghoul by taking a Ghoul's kakuhou and transplanting it into the human body."
Izuku and Madoka looked at Kizuna with wide eyes while Ruby looked confused. Yoh raised a brow.
"Impossible," Akira said. "You can't just remove a kakuhou from a ghoul without using specialized equipment, and even then, no one has ever transplanted a kakuhou into a human body."
"But you said it yourself, investigator Mado," Kizuna said. "It would take a talented surgeon to pull that kind of operation off, and it would take someone who knows more about Ghoul physiology to pull it off."
"Like the CCG hasn't tried something like that before," Eva said.
Amon looked at Eva. "What do you mean?"
Eva got up after finishing her cup of tea. "A little bird told me that the CCG had plans to create human-ghoul hybrids, but they shelved the idea because of ethical concerns. Think about it, a one-eyed ghoul would serve as the perfect replacement for human investigators. Fight fire with fire, as the saying goes."
Amon looked down at the floor, his eyes becoming more wide. He could hear his heart palpitating at the thought.
"2B, tell me the odds of such a procedure being successful," Eva said.
"Yes, mistress. Relaying your request over to 9S," 2B nodded and stayed motionless for a few seconds. "9S reports that the probability of such a surgery succeeding is 1 in 400."
"1 in 400?" Amon asked. "Oh my god..."
"Now imagine applying that surgery to a Nomu," Kizuna said. "You'd have a real monster on your hands. A mindless, instinct-driven super soldier with a voracious appetite armed with various powers with abilities that far exceed human limits. They'd make even the One-Eyed Owl look like a puppy."
"Which is why we have to find those missing people," Izuku said. "Do you have any leads?"
Amon snapped out of it and looked at Izuku. "At the moment no. We have nothing to go on."
"Has anything strange happened outside of the missing people that might help give us a clue?" Izuku asked.
"Hmm..." Amon thought about it. "Well, now that you mention it, there was a report regarding a ship going missing a few days ago before it arrived in port. The Japan Coast Guard ran an inspection of the boat as soon as it was nearing the harbor and they found nothing wrong with the ship. The crew was all accounted for, nothing was lost, and everything checked out. But there was one thing that stood out..."
"What stood out?" Izuku asked.
"None of the crew members went back to their homes at night when the ship came in," Amon said.
Kizuna and his friends were outside the estate, discussing their next options.
"Ruby and I will follow up on the lead involving the ship," Izuku said. "Yoh—"
"I'll go to the harbor and ask any of the ghosts there if they saw or felt something suspicious about the ship," Yoh said, leaving Izuku surprised. "I'm a Shaman, remember? I can talk to the dead."
"Right..." Izuku said, looking at Kizuna and Madoka. Kizuna and Madoka, you two can go out on patrol and see what you can find. We'll contact each other every 30 minutes."
"Right," Kizuna and Madoka nod.
"Alright, it's our first mission. Let's do our best," Izuku said.
The group splits up.
Amon and Akira left the manor and were heading to the nearest police station. Amon was still reeling from all he had heard. He had never been faced with more questions than answers like this before. Between thoughts of the CCG considering making hybrids through experimental surgery, that very same surgery that has now been picked up by someone potentially affiliated with the Paranormal Liberation Front, and the possibility that those kidnapped investigators are being used as test subjects, he felt as though the world around him was slowly coming apart. Akira was on the phone with the Branch Office, relaying the information to them. Amon shuddered to think that there were people who would willingly do something like this. It made him feel sick.
Was humanity becoming the very thing he once thought the Ghouls were? Was humanity becoming more monstrous?
No. That can't be. It's impossible. Mankind is better than this. Man would never do these things.
He wanted to believe that mankind was better than this. But again, doubt crept into his heart.
Shibuya
Kizuna and Madoka were walking through Shibuya. Kizuna looked at Madoka. He looked down to see Jiminy pop out from one of his pockets. The cricket gave him a thumbs up before dipping back into the pocket.
"Say... Madoka... we uh... never got to finish that date we had, right?" Kizuna asked.
Madoka looked at him, blushing. "Y-You mean our first date? Uh... well, I thought it was alright, even though things uh... got a little crazy."
"A date that ends with a monster fight isn't exactly what I call a normal first date," Kizuna said. "Then again, you might be right about that..."
He could hear Sora sighing. "Say... uh... maybe we can go out again."
"R-Right now?"
"N-No! I-I mean, yes, but you know, after we're done with this mission," Kizuna said. "God, what am I doing? Here we are, thinking about our first date when we should be gathering clues."
"I-I don't mind it," Madoka said. "It's nice to get a break from all the witch-hunting I had to do last night."
"Witch-hunting?" Kizuna asked.
Madoka reached into her pockets and pulled out two black orbs that had canes on the bottom.
"These are Grief Seeds," Madoka said. "The witches I go after are extra-dimensional beings. When one of them goes down, they drop these things."
The ring turned into a gem. The gem looked less shiny and filled with some kind of black mist inside. She puts the orbs close to the gem and the mist was sucked right into the orbs.
"Magical Girls like me and my friends cleanse our soul gems off with Grief Seeds," Madoka said. "From then on, Kyubey just eats them up."
"I see..." Kizuna said. "It's like ridding yourself of darkness."
Madoka nodded before looking a bit down. "Yeah, in a sense it is... but it's also kind of... tragic if you knew where Witches used to come from..."
"Huh?"
"See... before I made a contract with Kyubey, that is to say before I made my wish... I found out that Magical Girls are cursed to inevitably become Witches themselves," Madoka said.
Kizuna looked at her sympathetically.
"So... what did you wish for?" Kizuna asked.
"To have the souls of Magical Girls, present or future, placed back into their bodies," Madoka said. "At least that way, magical girls won't have to die if their soul gem gets destroyed or turns into a Grief Seed."
"I see..." Kizuna said. "So... uh... do you still want to go out?"
Madoka giggled. "Let's just focus on the mission, and then we can consider going on another date."
"Right," Kizuna nods before receiving a chill down his spine.
The two continued walking out on patrol, looking for anything that might hint at a clue for their investigation. Kizuna couldn't help but feel like he was being watched.
From a distance, a girl was holding a pink umbrella. She smiled as she walked in the same direction as Kizuna and Madoka.
