Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

Kaguya had been delighted to join the CCG, hoping to be paired with Akira Mado. After all, they were both women, which meant less tension and defensiveness. Besides, they had a decent impression of each other. Kaguya thought it would be a good opportunity to build a connection, strengthen their relationship, and maybe even... do some mutually "interesting" things.

But who would have thought that her partner would turn out to be him? How did this even happen? She didn't want to deal with some muscular guy—what she wanted was a soft, charming girl!

Looking at the muscular frame of Koutarou Amon, who was covered in bulging muscles, Kaguya facepalmed, her expression full of despair.

"From today on, we're partners. Please take care of me," Koutarou Amon said politely, his face slightly red as he extended his hand.

From a woman's perspective, Koutarou Amon could be considered ideal: his looks were handsome and refined, his character upright and capable, and he possessed perseverance, skill, and the courage to face death head-on. It was no wonder that many women were drawn to him—his popularity spoke volumes.

Unfortunately, Kaguya felt no such admiration. In fact, she wasn't fond of men in general. She wasn't a guy; she wasn't into guys. Why should she care about someone like him? To her, Koutarou Amon was nothing more than a hairless, muscle-bound gorilla with a simple mind and overdeveloped limbs.

Without even glancing at his outstretched hand, Kaguya walked straight to her desk. She missed the solo office she'd had as Tsukiyomi—it was much more peaceful back then. Now, this eyesore was here, making everything more annoying.

Koutarou Amon awkwardly retracted his hand, cleared his throat twice, and returned to his desk. He wondered if he had done something wrong to upset her. Perhaps he should apologize after work?

But Kaguya wasn't thinking that far. She simply disliked being partnered with him.

Bored, she started flipping through the latest battle reports. The recent Aogiri Tree attack had caused over 300 casualties. In the CCG's history, only the battle against the Owl had resulted in similarly devastating losses.

As she scanned the report, her eyes narrowed slightly. She had spotted a familiar name on the list.

"Seidou Takizawa."

Looking further, she saw that he was marked as "missing."

It seemed that after Kaguya had left the scene, Takizawa had been captured by the ghouls who arrived later. Considering his disappearance, it was likely he'd already been turned into one of them.

"Poor guy," Kaguya muttered briefly before putting the thought aside. Characters like him were a dime a dozen. If he died, he died. To her, he was just a name—nothing more than a symbol.

Despite being recognized as having strength rivaling that of a Special Class Investigator, Kaguya still had much to learn as a rookie investigator. The sheer volume of information about ghouls and the 20th Ward alone piled up into a daunting stack of documents. But Kaguya didn't care much, flipping through the pages casually to kill time.

Finally, the workday ended. Kaguya felt like a schoolkid waiting for the bell to ring.

As a new investigator, Kaguya was entitled to an apartment and equipment. However, being Tsukiyomi's "sister," she had inherited her belongings, saving Kaguya a lot of trouble. After all, they had been hers to begin with—it was just a matter of using a different identity.

This new identity worked well for now, and no one seemed suspicious. Kaguya had used a bit of genjutsu to ensure she wouldn't need to pretend to mourn an older sister she never had. While Tsukiyomi was officially listed as "missing" in the records, the lack of news over time had led to her being presumed dead.

Kaguya understood that, as the "younger sister," she needed to put on a proper display, or it wouldn't seem credible.

Koutarou Amon cleared his throat twice and walked over. He seemed a little embarrassed as he asked, "Excuse me, do you have a moment?"

"What is it?" Kaguya asked curiously, turning to him.

"After we finish our reports, would you like to grab dinner together?" Koutarou Amon said with a smile. "Since today is our first day as partners, it'd be nice to celebrate a little."

"My answer is no," Kaguya said, waving her index finger from side to side and smiling with narrowed eyes.

"Huh?" Koutarou Amon's smile froze.

"Sorry, I have other things to take care of," Kaguya said as she tidied up her desk. Turning to him, she added, "Also, if it's not work-related, please don't bother me. I would be very grateful."

"Uh... I see," Koutarou Amon replied awkwardly, thinking to himself that his partner was remarkably blunt.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving for the day," Kaguya said with a wave, smiling as she turned to leave. If it had been a pretty girl, she wouldn't have minded. But for a big guy like him? No, thank you.

"Uh... okay," Amon stammered.

At that moment, a familiar figure hurried toward her—it was Koutarou Amon.

"I'm glad I caught you here," Koutarou said with a smile.

Kaguya turned back, slightly surprised. "What is it? Do you need something from me?"

"Special Class Investigator Arima wants to see you," Koutarou replied.

Kishou Arima.

Kaguya froze for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly. Since the battle, they hadn't had any direct contact. Routine inquiries about the events of that day had been handled by others, and she hadn't seen him again.

What did this guy want with her now? After all, Kishou Arima's role wasn't just that of a Special Class Investigator within the CCG.

As Kaguya pondered this, she failed to notice the curious expression in Koutarou Amon's eyes behind her.

...

In a pitch-black room, faint silhouettes of several figures could be seen.

"How is the experiment progressing?" a tall figure asked.

If Kaguya had been present, she would have recognized the cold, indifferent voice—it was Tatara.

"The experiment isn't going well. The specimens you brought back haven't fully integrated with the ghoul components," an elderly voice replied. A doctor's silhouette could be faintly discerned, bent over as he read through some documents under a dim light. "The compatibility is low, resulting in rejection. Most specimens died shortly after the fusion attempt."

"I see," Tatara said after a moment of silence. "It seems we'll need to find more samples."

"There is some progress, though," the old doctor said, a hint of excitement in his voice as he held up the documents. "The blood sample you brought back is extraordinary. Its activity is incredibly strong. When it comes into contact with RC cells, it triggers their division, causing their numbers to multiply dozens of times. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Is that so?" Tatara turned, slightly surprised.

"Indeed," the doctor said regretfully. "But unfortunately, the amount of blood is far too small for our experiments. Where did you get it?"

Tatara didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head, gazing through the window at the view outside. A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

He was looking in the direction of the CCG.

...

The evening was approaching, and twilight had arrived. On the horizon, the sun slowly set amidst dazzling and radiant clouds, its afterglow gradually dissipating. This was the time of day when light and darkness converged—a moment suspended between day and night.

Of course, there was no "mouth-chewed sake" or anything like that here. Even if there were, it would likely be the kind brewed by the legendary Kaguya Ōtsutsuki herself.

But such thoughts were just idle musings.

Kaguya walked to Kishou Arima's office and knocked on the door with her finger, "Knock, knock."

"Come in."

Kishou Arima's voice came from within.

Kaguya pushed the door open. Inside, Kishou Arima sat at his desk, focused on his computer, seemingly researching something.

Speaking of his office, it was surprisingly spacious. Although it was labeled an "office," Kaguya couldn't shake the feeling that it resembled a meeting room. The decor was simple and uncluttered, with no extravagant or overly elaborate designs. Aside from a desk, chairs, and a computer, there was a row of bookshelves neatly filled with books. Judging by their pristine appearance, they weren't just for show—it seemed Arima actually enjoyed reading.

"I wonder what Special Class Investigator Arima wants from me," Kaguya said as she walked over and sat down casually, not bothering with formalities.

"I called you here for a reason," Arima said, turning his chair to face her. "If I'm not mistaken, you're supposed to be Tsukiyomi's younger sister."

"That's right. What about it?" Kaguya asked, crossing her legs and looking curious.

"But according to her personal records," Arima flipped through the file in his hands before looking up, "there's no mention of her having a younger sister."

"Oh, that," Kaguya's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a calm demeanor. "That's because we were separated when we were very young due to family circumstances. It's not something I can discuss openly—I hope you'll understand."

Of course, there was no actual reason. She had made it up on the spot. Kaguya didn't know anything about Tsukiyomi's family background. She hadn't expected Arima to investigate her, though it wasn't entirely surprising. After all, the abilities Kaguya had demonstrated were far beyond what any human should possess, even by ghoul standards.

"If I'm not mistaken," Arima continued, "your family owned a shrine, didn't they?"

"What?" Kaguya was momentarily dumbfounded. A shrine? Where did that come from?

"According to Tsukiyomi's records, her family used to have a shrine, but for some reason, it fell into disrepair," Arima said, placing the file on the desk. His sharp black eyes locked onto Kaguya. "I'm not trying to pry into your private life. This is just part of the routine investigation required for joining the CCG."

"I see," Kaguya replied, turning her head and pulling a wry smile.

She had no idea how this shrine business came into play. Shrines weren't exactly uncommon in Japan, though. With eight million gods in Japanese mythology, it wasn't surprising there were plenty of shrines.

"As for your unusual abilities, we don't have any conclusions yet," Arima added, glancing at her briefly. "But I won't dig any deeper. Everyone has their own secrets, and I won't interfere."

Hearing this, Kaguya couldn't help but want to retort: Even if you wanted to dig deeper, you wouldn't find anything.

"I actually called you here for another matter," Kishou Arima said.

"Another matter?" Kaguya asked curiously, internally grumbling: Then wasn't all that earlier talk just unnecessary nonsense?

"Although the Aogiri Tree organization has been repelled, there's still much to do. Especially in the 20th Ward, where many ghouls remain scattered. Among them, there's a particular place of interest—a café. We suspect it may harbor ghouls, but we haven't yet confirmed anything. Investigating it will require subtlety," Arima said, pushing a file across the desk to Kaguya.

As she listened, Kaguya immediately knew which café he was referring to. She reached out and picked up the file, her eyes narrowing slightly. As expected, it was Anteiku.

How did they pinpoint Anteiku? Was it discovered by intelligence operatives, or had someone leaked the information to the CCG?

If it was the latter, things could get serious. The recent attack on the CCG had caused severe losses—not just in manpower but also in public trust. The CCG's ability to counteract ghouls had been called into question, and its authority had suffered a significant blow. As the last line of defense against ghouls, the CCG needed to demonstrate its capabilities to restore public confidence. Taking down a ghoul stronghold like Anteiku would certainly make a strong statement.

But this was just Kaguya's speculation. If the CCG intended to act against Anteiku, there must be deeper reasons behind it.

"Why did you call me for this?" Kaguya frowned, placing the file back on the desk. "I just joined the CCG. As a rookie investigator, aren't you worried I'll mess it up?"

"This café is suspicious, but we haven't confirmed any connection to ghouls. For now, it's just a routine investigation. Your role is to observe discreetly and report anything unusual," Arima said. "We can't afford to act without solid evidence, especially when we're still recovering from recent losses. A single mistake could jeopardize the operation."

Kaguya understood a little better now. It seemed the CCG had found some clues but hadn't fully verified them. Assigning this task to a rookie investigator like her likely meant they were still in the preliminary stages of investigation. Even if something went wrong, it wouldn't result in a critical loss.

...

Leaving Kishou Arima's office, Kaguya felt a pang of hunger. Her appetite had grown noticeably larger lately, though she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.

"What are you standing here for?"

A magnetic female voice called out behind her. Turning around, Kaguya was greeted by the sight of Akira Mado.

"Nothing much," Kaguya said, facing Akira. "Special Class Arima just called me to talk about something."

"Oh," Akira said, surprised. Then she smiled and added, "I didn't expect you to earn his recognition so quickly. Congratulations."

She had clearly misunderstood.

"I wish that were true," Kaguya said, shrugging. "He just assigned me some insignificant task, that's all."

"Don't complain," Akira said, stepping closer and taking Kaguya's hand. Smiling, she continued, "If you're not busy, come have dinner with me."

"What if I am busy?" Kaguya teased.

"Then you're still coming to dinner with me," Akira said unreservedly, linking arms with Kaguya. "Come on, you saved me, and I haven't properly thanked you yet."

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