Gunshots. Roars. CRc gas filled the air.
Shattered walls, spiderweb cracks spreading outward, and a black-clad figure's body folding nearly in half as he was hurled through the air.
His arms stretched forward, gripping a massive, spear-pointed greatsword.
Afternoon sunlight pierced drifting dust, falling upon the armored silhouette that followed close behind. The violet-red radiance of her Kagune flickered irregularly, staining the bloodied blade in her hand. Like a crimson streak cutting through shadow, it split the smoke in an instant.
Clang!
Black spear-blade clashed against pale sword-edge, sparks spraying like molten steel from a forge.
The black-clad man faltered. His body bent under pressure, tilting, sword and man lifted and flung, crashing onto the blue-brick path in a burst of rubble.
The black-armored figure followed, leaving afterimages in the air. One boot stomped hard on the pale sword's spine, both hands swinging her jet-black weapon in a half-circle, lashing mercilessly at her pinned foe.
Cloth tore. Blood spattered. The black-clad figure curled like a boiled shrimp, knees nearly to chin, body whipping uncontrollably backward, slamming into the exterior wall of the building behind.
Boom! The wall caved in, shockwaves spreading, mist of blood exploding outward.
Bathed in sunlight, the armored silhouette simply flicked blood and grime from her weapon.
Her glossy spear-blade cut a trail of red through the air.
Crash— the building groaned, shaking to collapse. Shards of concrete, wall plaster, and glass fragments rained down, clashing against the beautiful figure in radiant armor—a striking contrast.
For a moment, the sight seemed gilded. Amid smoke and dust, her Kagune wings unfurled in flames, like a seraph descending to cleanse the world.
In a breath, the black-armored woman twirled her lance, hooking the pale greatsword off the ground. One hand opened, closed, and seized it.
With a simple sideways swing—
"Fire!"
Cannon thundered.
The screen shook, showing the armored woman turning away. Behind her, the Western-Japanese styled mansion burst in a blaze, flames consuming its materials, glowing orange sparks raining like a storm. The glare dimmed the image itself.
Click. The footage froze.
The explosion scene, soaked in American heroism—the "true warrior never looks back at the blast"—shrank to the corner, while the black-armored "seraph's" upper body portrait enlarged.
A caption appeared:
Vela Adelheid Russell — Commander of the International Anti-Ghoul Joint Operations Command, Martial Law Coordinator [Tokyo], and Special Commissioner Plenipotentiary [USA]
The host appeared at the right moment.
"…Just now, the CCG's target codenamed [Washuu] has been eliminated. Leaders Tsuneyoshi Washuu and Yoshitoki Washuu have been executed."
"Official channels now confirm that the noble Washuu family—hereditary holders of CCG leadership—were in fact a ghoul conspiracy group embedded in the government. According to confidential sources, the Prime Minister signed a Cabinet resolution yesterday stripping the Washuu of all political rights and human rights…"
Ward 20, Anteiku Café.
"The Washuu family—the head of the CCG—were ghouls?"
In the quiet shop, Ken Kaneki lifted his head in shock. Around him, men and women sat in heavy thought, shaken by both the terrifying power of the CCG's "Angel of Death" and the horrifying truth that the leaders of their longtime enemies were ghouls themselves. Under martial law, the flood of explosive news reports came one after another, overwhelming them.
Bang!
Touka Kirishima slammed the table.
The force knocked dishes and cups clattering to the floor, some shattering, coffee spraying in dark droplets.
"What kind of sick joke is this?!"
Her breath quickened, fury written on her face.
Not because the enemy's display of power enraged her—but because—
"The former Bureau Chief and Grand Chairman of the CCG were ghouls. Then what was the point of all our years of hiding and running from their raids?"
Her fingers dug into the tabletop, knuckles creaking. Her lips pressed tight, trembling as she cursed.
"How could they shamelessly lead investigators to slaughter their own kind for so many years?! A pack of beasts fit only for hell! Traitors! Ghoul-scum! Trash! Filth!"
The Washuu family scandal didn't just disgrace Japan's political world and the investigator system—it shattered the minds of countless ghouls hiding in corners and alleys of the city.
Especially those unwilling to fight, unwilling to kill for food, who had endured sweep after sweep with caution. Their mentality broke apart.
Why?
They had thought the Tsukiyama family were the most privileged among their kind. Yet even above them, there had been worse…
As the noble clan able to inherit the Bureau Chief post, much of the Washuu family's history was public.
Leaving aside their self-glorification, the fact remained: over a century ago, Washuu Daikichi had founded the CCG. Every Washuu boasted of this on their resumes, loudly proclaiming that their clan's mission across generations was to eradicate ghouls.
No one had ever imagined that the Washuu—Japan's chief investigators—were ghouls themselves.
Now that the truth was revealed, looking back on their words—
Ironic. Laughable.
The Washuu family's crimes were unforgivable!
Compared to that, the "Angel of Death" from North America killing her brother didn't feel quite so hateful anymore. After all, fighting and dying had been Ayato's own choice of how to live.
"Enough, Touka."
Kuzen Yoshimura lifted his eyes to the furious Touka and gently urged, "It's over now. The Washuu couldn't escape judgment. Extermination was their only end. Though it was Vela Russell who struck the blow—perhaps, I should thank her. She avenged me."
Touka froze.
"At this point, I should tell you all…"
Kuzen's closed eyes opened solemnly. He looked around at his like-minded companions, his juniors, Renji Yomo, Kaya Irimi, Enji Koma…
Finally, he turned his gaze to the television broadcasting more revelations about the Washuu family.
Footage captured up close in high definition showed the Washuu's enforcers—half-humans of the V organization.
That corpse-like pallor, those eyes with no sclera, all white—each detail broadcast clearly, the anchor emphasizing their inhuman traits.
"When I was young, I served the Washuu as a 'Cleaner' in their V organization. My duty was to eliminate the group's enemies. At the time, I didn't know V was their subordinate force."
Seeing Touka silent, Kuzen continued: "Until… because of one—no, two of the most important people in my life, I chose to leave."
"I couldn't save either of them. Alone, I could never resist the organization. In the end, to honor a promise to the most important person in my life, I came to Ward 20, opened this café, and sought a way for ghouls and humans to coexist, clinging to life in death."
"…"
Touka naturally understood the deep warning in his words.
Abandon vengeance.
End the spiral of hatred.
Revenge might feel sacred, but ghouls could no longer afford blind struggle.
With human technology advancing, the room to maneuver only grew narrower.
Even Kuzen, an SSS-class Kakuja among the strongest ghouls, could not resist the V organization and the Washuu behind them. Against the full machinery of human state power and nuclear weapons, what chance did they have?
Waiting was the rational choice.
Painful—but still hope.
Among humans were people like Kimi Nishino, knowledgeable and capable, willing to help normalize ghouls.
Researchers like Kouitsu Chigyou and Kanou Akihiro had proven through their work that ghouls could be saved.
Vela Adelheid Russell, whatever her motives, had spared Ryouko and Hinami Fueguchi. The project for artificial high-Rc food edible for ghouls continued, and the Legal Ghoul bill was still under discussion…
As her thoughts drifted, Kirishima Touka's gaze unconsciously returned to Kuzen Yoshimura. Today, the shopkeeper wasn't wearing his signature waiter's uniform.
"Manager, are you heading out? At a time like this?"
She asked without thinking.
"Ah… the time has come."
Kuzen only lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Renji, I leave the café to you. Take care of Touka and Kaneki, Irimi, Koma. I don't need you to follow me to the very end. Do you remember our promise…?"
Wait—why did this sound like last words?
The more she listened, the more wrong it felt. Touka's eyes widened. She was about to rise when—pat.
Her uncle, Renji Yomo, gently pressed a hand on her shoulder. "Let him go, Touka. This is his decision… as an unworthy father."
"…Thank you, Renji."
With a final, satisfied smile, Kuzen put on a round hat and pushed the door open.
"Eto…"
He whispered.
...
Since World War II, Tokyo had never been so tumultuous.
The anti-ghoul operations across the 23 wards had entered a white-hot stage.
Anti-ghoul had broadened into anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-collusion with ghouls, anti-tax evasion… It was, in truth, nothing less than a sweeping "American-style neo-economic purge and counterinsurgency."
At the right moment, CCG, Tokyo Prosecutor's Office, and Self-Defense Force operatives stormed into the Tsukiyama family estate.
Around the same time, the Tsukiyama's hidden hand moved. Their allied faction, the ghoul organization "Apollo Group," disguised as the Apollo Forestry Company, dispatched multiple cargo helicopters from Ward 6, flying north toward Honshu.
The CIA and members of the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul, who had been tailing them, also sprang into action.
...
Elsewhere, Vela led her forces to the ghoul detention center in Ward 23.
In the distance, through drifting smoke and choking CRc gas, the heavy reinforced concrete walls of Cochlea loomed. Vela tapped lightly on the Quinque case of her newly claimed [Owl], deep in thought.
Arima Kishou… what role will you choose to play?