Ranmaru gets unofficially transferred to the TOKKO division while still being under the official command of TOKKI, which pissed off Kunikida and thinks that Akiha may have been responsible for Ranmaru's supposed transfer. In a meeting with the Phantom Countermeasures Committee, lead by top NPA (and possibly Public Security Investigation Agency) officials, they accuse Ryoko of wasting her time in their investigation against the Phantoms and not doing anything to calm the public about the supposed serial murder cases since Ranmaru's own symbiote was awakened by her subordinates without enacting on their authorization. In the dead of night, Gaki Phantoms infiltrate a NPA office in Tokyo in order to assassinate Ryoko in order to halt TOKKO's investigation against them. In the subsequent fight, Ryoko gets minor injuries on her left arm and they discover Ranmaru's power, which was the ability to channel his symbiote energy on his broadsword to do a projectile attack. Ranmaru, through Akiha, understood why Ryoko wanted to be in charge of TOKKO. It was for vengeance when her fiancée died protecting her from one of the Phantom demons during the subsequent Machida massacre.