章 23: Side Story: Takashi Asano #2
Side Story: Takashi Asano #2
Takashi Asano watched the lifeless host slump to the ground, his breathing ragged from the recent fight. Kaneki stood beside him, equally tense, their silent alliance strengthened only by necessity. Takashi had never imagined he'd be fighting side-by-side with a ghoul, much less depending on one, but the threat of the parasite was beyond anything he'd ever faced.
They moved quickly out of the alley, Kaneki's masked face giving nothing away, though Takashi could feel the silent judgment hanging between them. It was strange, knowing that the ghoul beside him was the only one who truly understood the extent of this invisible war they were fighting.
Takashi shook his head, pushing the thought away. Focus, he reminded himself. They were allies, nothing more. But as he considered their recent encounters with the parasite's hosts, a cold realization settled over him: the CCG wasn't equipped to handle this. The parasite was unlike any ghoul he'd ever fought, a silent predator hiding in plain sight.
The weight of the mission they had ahead of them felt overwhelming, but he knew that any hesitation would be deadly. They couldn't afford to waste time—every day, the parasite grew stronger, spreading its influence further across Tokyo.
"Let's keep moving," he muttered, glancing back at Kaneki, who nodded without a word.
---
Days later, Takashi sat in a dimly lit CCG archive room, pouring over files and records. He'd been granted access to restricted case files on disappearances, odd behaviors, and unsolved ghoul attacks, though even these yielded few answers. But the patterns were unmistakable: people who had been reported missing had returned days later, acting perfectly normal—except for the distant, hollow look in their eyes.
"Anything?" a voice interrupted, and Takashi looked up to see Kaneki standing in the doorway, his gaze steady.
"Just pieces," Takashi replied, his tone heavy with frustration. "People are being hollowed out, turned into vessels without anyone noticing. The reports say they're fine, just… different."
Kaneki's brow furrowed as he stepped further into the room, scanning the papers scattered across the desk. "This thing is more than just a parasite. It's adapting, growing stronger with each host."
Takashi nodded, glancing at the documents with a deepening sense of dread. "And it's using them to spread its influence, quietly infecting more people while keeping its presence hidden."
The two stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their mission pressing down on them. Despite his years of training, Takashi knew this was beyond anything he had ever been prepared for. But as he looked at Kaneki, he felt a reluctant sense of respect. The ghoul was dedicated, focused, and determined to stop the parasite.
"Look, if we're going to make any real progress, we'll need more than just rumors and scattered reports," Takashi said finally. "We need to find someone who's been close to the parasite—a survivor."
Kaneki looked thoughtful, his gaze distant. "There may be someone," he murmured, glancing back toward the door. "I've heard of a man who came back from a supposed 'attack'—someone who's still trying to piece together what happened to him."
Takashi raised an eyebrow. "Who is he?"
"A former investigator," Kaneki replied. "He's not with the CCG anymore, but I can arrange a meeting if you're willing to trust my lead."
Takashi hesitated, but he knew they had little choice. "Do it."
---
Later that evening, Kaneki led Takashi to a small, run-down apartment on the outskirts of Tokyo. Inside, they found a man sitting quietly, his hands trembling as he stared at a glass of water on the table. He looked up as they entered, his face lined with weariness and fear.
"You're the CCG investigator?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Takashi nodded, studying the man with a sense of unease. "I need you to tell me everything you remember about the parasite."
The man's gaze dropped, and he took a shaky breath. "It… it felt like I was watching myself, like I was a puppet with someone else pulling the strings. I knew what was happening, but I couldn't… couldn't stop it. My body wouldn't listen to me."
Takashi's jaw tightened. "How did it feel?"
"Empty," the man whispered, his eyes haunted. "Like I was trapped in a fog, just… waiting. Every thought, every feeling was muted, as though I wasn't truly alive."
Asano felt a chill run down his spine. The description matched everything he'd seen—the hollow eyes, the vacant stares. But this man had managed to escape, to retain some shred of his humanity. The question was, how?
"Do you know what broke the control?" Kaneki asked, his voice calm but intent.
The man looked down at his trembling hands. "I think… I think it was a memory. Something personal, something that the parasite couldn't touch. I remembered my family, my home… and somehow, that was enough to fight back."
Takashi exchanged a glance with Kaneki, understanding the implications. 'If memories could break the parasite's hold, maybe there was a way to help others resist it.'
"We'll protect you," Takashi said, a rare gentleness in his voice. "But we need you to stay in touch. You're one of the few who has survived this—you may hold the key to stopping it."
The man nodded, a flicker of hope lighting his haunted eyes. "I'll help however I can."
---
As they left the apartment, Kaneki glanced at Takashi. "You're changing, you know. Most CCG investigators would have killed him for the chance he could still be infected."
Takashi gave a slight shrug, though he couldn't deny the truth in Kaneki's words. "This isn't like anything I've faced before," he admitted. "It's not about humans versus ghouls. We're both fighting something bigger than ourselves."
Kaneki's expression softened. "That's why I reached out to you. Alone, we'd never survive this."
Takashi looked out over Tokyo's skyline, the city's lights casting shadows across his face. He knew that this alliance with Kaneki was temporary, but for the first time, he felt a sense of purpose beyond the CCG's narrow mission. The parasite threatened both humans and ghouls alike, and if he could help stop it, he would—no matter what lines he had to cross.
And as the two disappeared into the city's darkness, Takashi understood that his life—and perhaps the very nature of the CCG—would never be the same again.
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