The situation was urgent. After quickly organizing his thoughts, Marude Itsuki did not waste even a moment and immediately took action.
He first connected to the internal combat command channel. His voice was clearly transmitted through the speakers to the leaders of every unit.
"Attention all units. This is the overall commander. I will now transmit the latest intelligence and operation orders."
His speech was fast, but every word was clear.
"First, it has been confirmed that the new type of monster is extremely dangerous.
The red mist they release can cause humans to transform into ghouls. This is not speculation. It has already been proven."
"Second, all frontline teams are to immediately switch to a defensive withdrawal posture. Operate in groups of three or more. Individual contact with unknown mist is strictly prohibited.
If you encounter a suspected 'explosive' individual, prioritize long-range elimination and avoid close combat."
"Third, the operation objective has changed. The current core mission is to establish an isolation blockade network.
Using the earliest area where the monsters appeared as the center, establish three layers of physical isolation zones extending outward, and equip them with monitoring equipment. Not a single monster is allowed to leave the designated area!"
He paused, his voice becoming heavier.
"Repeat. This is the highest priority mission."
After cleanly delivering the orders, he did not waste time waiting for his subordinates to process them. He immediately picked up the confidential hotline directly connected to the Cabinet.
The call was answered almost instantly. Marude Itsuki spoke into the receiver without any greetings and went straight to the point.
"Prime Minister, this is Marude Itsuki. The situation is more serious than expected. We require the highest level of support."
He quickly and accurately reported the monsters' characteristics, the transformation risk, and CCG's current response plan.
"We need full cooperation from the government."
His tone was firm.
"Especially sealing off key routes around Tokyo, assisting in establishing a large-scale isolation zone,
and preparing for possible large-scale civilian evacuation. This is not an incident TSC can handle independently. It has already escalated into a national-level crisis."
After hanging up, Marude Itsuki finally took a deep breath and rubbed his aching temples.
The orders had been issued, and support had been requested. Now all they could do was race against time, building that final line of defense before the situation completely spiraled out of control.
Marude Itsuki's response measures were extremely decisive. Every step was precisely targeted.
Combined with the government's strong cooperation, their efforts on both fronts produced astonishing efficiency.
The civilians were quickly and orderly evacuated away from the danger zone.
At the same time, a tightly secured isolation zone was established at the fastest possible speed,
like an iron wall, firmly trapping most of the monsters that had fallen from the "Dragon" within the central area.
The few that had escaped outside were quickly eliminated by cleanup teams, preventing them from causing wider spread.
In a short period of time, the situation that could have completely fallen out of control was forcibly stabilized and brought back onto a relatively manageable track.
The situation was temporarily contained, but everyone understood that this only treated the symptoms and not the root cause.
Marude Itsuki stood before the command screen, looking at the marked isolation zone, knowing that the real battle had only just begun.
...
While TSC was busy to the point of chaos and exhaustion, the Aogiri Tree headquarters was filled with a completely different atmosphere, one that was almost leisurely.
The cafe could no longer be used because of the massive evacuation, so everyone from the coffee shop had moved to Aogiri Tree's territory.
Yoshimura and Kamashiro Matasaka, the two old men, happened to have some common topics to discuss. Holding cups of coffee, they moved to a quiet corner,
talking about subjects and past events that only people of their generation could understand, creating an atmosphere of peaceful years.
The other executives and younger members gathered in the spacious living room area.
Of course, they still needed to discuss the plan, but the atmosphere was so relaxed that it was like a casual tea party. Everyone exchanged opinions freely without much tension.
Eto casually lounged on the sofa, swinging her small legs back and forth as she looked sideways at Amano Hiro.
"Hiro, are we still not starting the next step?"
Amano Hiro was sunk into another sofa, completely relaxed. Hearing this, he smiled.
"Why rush? The timing isn't right yet. Wait until they are burned a little more,
until their headaches become even worse. Then when we go and offer them water, that will truly be 'help in a desperate situation.' Only then will it have enough weight."
Rize covered her lips and chuckled, seeing through him with one sentence.
"I think you just want to watch the show a little longer, Hiro."
"Haha, you've seen right through me."
Amano Hiro admitted with a laugh, but his expression soon became more serious.
"However, seriously speaking, it really is still too early. Let's wait a little longer. The timing will be the most appropriate then.
Besides, even if we 'cooperate,' the 'Dragon' cannot be solved immediately."
He sat up straight, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
"We need to let it 'play' a greater role. Otherwise, this current situation where they are being forced into a corner,
where humans and ghouls may have no choice but to consider cooperation, will disappear in an instant. Wouldn't that be a waste?"
He paused, a calm calculation in his voice.
"Those 'Dragon Orphans' will slowly evolve and become stronger.
By then, both humans and ghouls will have to pay more of a price, and more people will die.
Only through sharing hardships and bleeding together can that bond be forced into existence, and only then will it become more reliable."
.....
Three days later.
The pressure in TSC's conference room was suffocating.
A group of investigators sat around the long table, every one of them frowning deeply, their faces filled with exhaustion and helplessness.
Several days had passed. From the appearance of that "Dragon" until now, time had continued to pass, but the search for its core location remained completely without progress.
Facing that enormous body stretching like a mountain range, the manpower they currently had was like drops of water falling into the ocean.
Click.
Amid this atmosphere of despair, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open without warning.
Three figures entered without invitation, stepping into the most important decision-making room in CCG at this moment.
Leading them was Amano Hiro. Beside him were Rize and Eto.
The three appeared openly at the doorway, without masks concealing them, their faces completely visible.
"!"
Everyone in the conference room instantly jumped up from their seats,
instinctively taking defensive stances, even though they did not have a single Quinque nearby.
Of course they recognized these three people thanks to the battle on the Island that ended quite anticlimactically.
Those faces and those two figures had already been deeply engraved into their memories.
Marude Itsuki's face turned pale. Forcing down his shock, he asked in a deep voice.
"You... how did you get in? What do you want by coming here?"
Many investigators already had cold sweat forming on their foreheads. In this sealed room without weapons, facing "Carnage" and "One-Eyed Owl", they were no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered. Their first reaction was that the other side had come to eliminate them completely.
As for how the other side had accurately found this place, it was actually simple.
Arima Kishou was still carrying that small red orb.
Amano Hiro seemed to enjoy their state of being on high alert. He smiled indifferently, pulled out an empty chair as if he were the host, and calmly sat down.
"Relax."
He raised a hand, signaling to the tense crowd.
"I didn't come here to fight today."
Marude Itsuki stared at him sharply. After a moment, he slowly raised his hand, signaling for his colleagues to sit down first, though his vigilance did not decrease in the slightest.
"Then what is your purpose for coming here?"
Amano Hiro casually placed both hands on the clean conference table and leaned slightly forward, his gaze sweeping over every tense face before clearly saying just one word.
"Cooperation."