In a detached house in Beika Town.
Yoshimura, renting here, stood in the courtyard gazing at the full moon hanging in the night sky.
"Manager, it's about to begin, isn't it?"
Behind Yoshimura, through the open sliding glass doors leading to the living room, Renji Yomo's low voice carried as he placed a plate of green peppers on the dining table.
"Ah, the time approaches." Yoshimura's tone was sombre, as if lost in thought.
After a long pause, Yoshimura asked: "Yomo, do you think... was I right or wrong?"
He was questioning his decision to abandon most Ghouls who had sought refuge at Anteiku, protecting only a select few to survive.
"I don't know." Renji Yomo shook his head before handing the freshly cooked green peppers to Touka Kirishima, who was sitting nearby.
Touka silently picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, then her expression changed.
"Can't eat the vegetables?"
Renji Yomo frowned, his voice full of concern:
"Was there a mistake in the Gene Adjustment?"
However, Touka raised her head and fixed Renji with an eerie stare:
"Just how much salt did you put in these peppers?"
Renji froze momentarily before his expression turned awkward: "Ah, aren't green peppers supposed to be boiled in salt water... Fine, I understand. I'll be more careful next time."
From behind the counter, Hinami Fueguchi popped her head up to add:
"I told you not to put too much of that white stuff in."
Renji pulled out a palm-sized recipe book from his pocket with a troubled expression, muttering:
"But the recipe says 'some salt'... What exactly counts as 'some'?"
Beside him, Touka leaned over to glance at the recipe in her uncle's hands, her face immediately darkening:
"You idiot... The recipe says to boil vegetables in salt water. You made me peppers, you moron!"
Renji looked utterly bewildered: "Eh? Wrong ingredient, too?"
"Hahaha."
Yoshimura couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
As his laughter subsided, looking at Touka and the various dishes prepared by the Anteiku staff, he murmured to himself:
"Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if Ghouls became a thing of the past."
At least these youngsters and their descendants wouldn't have to live on human flesh anymore.
Though judging by current circumstances, they might need to rely on takeout for a while.
...
The derelict warehouse district.
Dark red bloodstains covered the entire warehouse floor.
Amidst the carnage of torn limbs and organs bearing teeth marks, nearly a hundred Ghouls stood with bloodshot crimson eyes, all gazing upwards at the second floor where a bandaged figure leaned against the window frame, staring at the full moon.
A Ghoul wearing a black rabbit mask approached Takatsuki Izumi:
"Eto, the selection is complete."
"Ah, it's you, Kirishima."
Takatsuki Izumi - codenamed Eto within Aogiri Tree - didn't turn her head, keeping her single unbandaged eye fixed on the moon:
"What time is it now?"
"11:15." Ayato Kirishima checked his phone before answering.
Eto narrowed her eye, the bandages concealing what might have been a smile:
"Give them half an hour to rest."
"...Understood." After a moment's hesitation, Ayato glanced warily at the Ghouls who'd survived the selection process through brutal combat, took a deep breath, and went to continue directing operations.
As Ayato descended the stairs, he passed by Tatara, one of Aogiri Tree's three executives, who came to stand before Eto:
"Eto."
"I've sorted out those who refused to participate in the selection."
"Oh? How many?" Eto propped her chin on one hand, resting a foot on the windowsill.
Tatara replied gravely: "Eighteen. All meet the requirements - minimum SS-rank Ghouls."
"Eh? That many actually showed up?"
Takatsuki Izumi was greatly surprised upon hearing the number.
She was well aware of Tatara's selection criteria, as she had directly relayed Luo Shu's requirements to him for implementation.
Among these, the most troublesome condition, in her opinion, was that candidates must never have actively hunted humans, only consumed Ghouls or corpses of suicide victims.
For Ghouls who required human flesh for sustenance, resisting the urge to kill and feed was an extremely difficult feat.
Not to mention, Takatsuki Izumi had stipulated that they must be at least S-class; lower-ranked Ghouls held no value.
Yet despite these seemingly impossible conditions designed to challenge Ghouls, eighteen individuals had still been selected.
This was intriguing.
"Eighteen Ghouls who don't kill, only feed on corpses and other Ghouls, with no signs of madness?"
"Tokyo Metropolis is truly vast, able to accommodate even these kinds of Ghouls."
Takatsuki Izumi remarked with slight surprise before smiling and saying:
"Eighteen people, plus twelve of our own people... Hmm, seems we're still short of thirty-five. Tatara, ask those eighteen if any have family members we can also recruit. This time, there's no need to assess their strength."
"Understood."
Tatara responded in a low voice. After a moment of silence, he glanced at the hundred individuals in the warehouse below—those who had been selected by Takatsuki Izumi from among murderous maniacs and were now on the verge of killing each other again—and asked:
"Eto, what do you plan to do with them?"
Luring those frenzied Ghouls with the temptation of food, inciting them to slaughter and devour one another.
Even Tatara couldn't comprehend Takatsuki Izumi's reasoning behind such madness.
If she never intended to recruit these bloodthirsty Ghouls in the first place, preferring those who didn't kill, then why conduct this selection?
Was it to reduce enemies and make operations smoother for various factions in Japan?
But after large-scale mutual slaughter among Ghouls, cannibalism would inevitably occur, leading to the emergence of SS-class or even SSS-class Ghouls.
For instance, right now, who knew how many Ghouls were already evolving beneath this warehouse?
Wasn't this counterproductive?
For a moment, Tatara couldn't fathom what Takatsuki Izumi was thinking.
"Of course, it's a test."
Takatsuki Izumi watched with amusement the monsters below—all at least S-class Ghouls who had survived the slaughter.
"A test to see how many monsters this city truly harbours."
...
Meanwhile, at a military base somewhere in Tokyo.
Black troop carriers were preparing to transport armed soldiers to all 23 wards of Tokyo Metropolis.
Amidst the static, orders from superiors reached the soldiers' ears.
"This operation is codenamed 'Spring Cleaning.'"
"Each basic tactical unit will consist of three soldiers and one support member, with each unit responsible for two targets."
The soldiers, wearing headsets, breathed nervously. Inside the vehicles, aside from their breathing, not a single extraneous sound could be heard.
"All units, attention. From this moment onward, squad leaders will distribute targets to each unit. All personnel must ensure targets are neutralised immediately upon engagement."
"Now, squad leaders will proceed with mission briefings."
In the tense silence, the troop carriers began departing the base, heading into the streets of Tokyo Metropolis.
...
At the command centre in Sakuradamon.
Kotoko Iwanaga, who had just arrived, stood beside a communications officer, watching with slight astonishment as lines of data flashed across the computer screen.
"Ghoul names, threat levels, attack methods, home addresses, and current location ranges..."
"To think even this level of intelligence could be obtained..."
Kotoko turned to Kirika Tachibana, who had already arrived, and asked:
"Did the SDS deploy some high-grade Abyss Artefact for this?"
Hearing this, Kirika didn't even lift her eyelids as she replied:
"Do you really think I'd tell you?"
"Hmm, so you don't know." Kotoko seemed to have confirmed something, then mused aloud: "In that case, the intelligence must be Luo Shu's handiwork."
"Are you certain he's not your SDS Intelligence Department's Director?"
"....."
Kirika Tachibana didn't respond, merely glancing at the representatives seated beside Kotoko Iwanaga:
"Rather than asking such things, you'd be better off sitting there eating your midnight snack."
"Come now, we're friends after all. No need to be so harsh~"
Kotoko Iwanaga adjusted her beret and smiled at Kirika:
"So, what's keeping Luo Shu from attending? Perhaps dealing with that uninvited Angel from Truth Astronomy?"
At these words, Director Ito, Nurarihyon and Dogen Takayanagi all turned their heads sharply, expressions grave.
Kirika gave Kotoko a rather surprised look.
Kotoko chuckled:
"Don't look at me like that. You know perfectly well Japan's yokai are my eyes and ears."
"So may I take this as your application for the SDS's Intelligence Director position?"
While not directly answering, Kirika tacitly confirmed Luo Shu was indeed preparing to confront Truth Astronomy's angel.
Ignoring the teasing, Kotoko murmured:
"What could such dangerous individuals want in Japan at this time?"
Kirika glanced up at the large map displaying Tokyo's 23 wards nearby, her gaze settling on Adachi Ward.
"Who knows."