The café bell rang sharply as Sol pushed the door open. Rain shimmered under the neon lights outside, casting a cold glow across the street.
He paused beneath the eaves. Even through the glass, he could feel several sharp gazes fixed on him. Kirishima Touka's purple hair flickered past the window, her Kakugan briefly appearing in the shadows.
A faint smile tugged at Sol's lips.
His fingertips brushed against the café's outer wall. The concrete split instantly, leaving five deep grooves carved into it as if it were soft clay. He slowed his steps on purpose, making sure everyone inside saw it clearly.
"See you tomorrow, Manager," he said, his voice steady, carrying just enough to reach everyone inside.
Then he turned the corner and disappeared into the rain.
Inside the café, Yoshimura slowly removed his glasses. His hand trembled slightly as he wiped the lenses with his apron. Touka hurried to his side, her Kakugan fully revealed.
"Manager, that man, he…"
"He's not human, and he isn't a ghoul either," Yoshimura cut in, his tone heavy. "At the very least, he's no ghoul."
A tray slipped from Irimi Kaya's hands, crashing onto the floor. The coffee cup shattered. In the corner, Kaneki Ken stood pale, his grip tightening around the book in his hand.
"Kaneki?" Touka frowned.
"I, I'm fine," Kaneki forced out, though his voice betrayed him. "That customer just felt… dangerous."
Yoshimura glanced at him, thoughtful, then turned to the others, his voice soft again.
"We're closing early today. Touka, put up the sign."
Night fell the next day.
Rain poured heavily over Tokyo, blurring the neon lights into streaks of color. Sol stood atop a tall building, water sliding off his black trench coat without soaking it, as if an invisible layer shielded him.
Below, figures gathered along the street.
His crimson eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.
"So he kept his word," Sol murmured.
He raised his hand. Rainwater pooled in his palm, reflecting the growing crowd below. The staff of Anteiku, ghouls from the 20th Ward, and even strangers from other wards had all arrived.
At the same time, the CCG headquarters was brightly lit.
Marude Itsuki stood before a large screen, his brows drawn tight. "Something unusual is happening in the 20th Ward. Anteiku has gathered a large number of ghouls."
"A routine meeting?" a younger investigator asked.
"Not a chance," Marude replied. "Yoshimura wouldn't act this openly."
Elsewhere, inside Aogiri Tree's base, Tatara's eyes glinted behind his mask.
"The 20th Ward is moving," he said. "Yoshimura is gathering people."
"Should we check it out?" Noro asked.
Tatara paused briefly. "Send Kirishima Ayato to lead a team. Stay alert."
"I'll go as well," Noro added, his tone low.
Under the rain, different forces began moving toward the same destination.
From above, Sol watched them converge, a faint, amused smile on his face.
"Perfect."
On the street below, Yoshimura stood at the front of the crowd, holding an umbrella. His expression was tense. Beside him, Touka scanned the surroundings.
"Manager, what is he planning?"
"I don't know," Yoshimura replied quietly. "But we have no choice except to cooperate."
Suddenly, bright headlights cut through the rain from both ends of the street. Armored vehicles rolled in, and dozens of CCG investigators poured out, weapons drawn, sealing off the area.
"Do not move!" one of them shouted through a speaker. "Routine CCG inspection!"
The crowd stirred immediately. Some ghouls stepped back, others revealed their Kakugan.
Yoshimura raised his hand. "Stay where you are. Don't act rashly."
"How lively."
The voice came from above.
Everyone looked up.
Sol stood on top of a streetlamp, rain drifting around him like mist. His coat fluttered slightly, untouched by the downpour.
"Who are you?" an investigator demanded.
Sol looked down at them, relaxed.
"That doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is that after tonight, the 20th Ward changes."
The investigators raised their Quinque, tension snapping tight.
"Hold your positions!" the lead investigator barked.
Yoshimura remained still in the rain, watching.
Before anything else could happen, glass shattered from the side of the street.
Aogiri Tree members burst through, led by Kirishima Ayato. Their Kakugan glowed vividly in the dark.
Sol let out a quiet laugh and dropped from the streetlamp, landing between the three groups.
"Now this is better," he said.
Ayato's Ukaku spread wide, sharp and radiant. "You talk too much."
Yoshimura stayed where he was, keeping the others in check. "What are you trying to do?" he asked.
Sol lifted his right hand. Rainwater gathered into a small sphere in his palm.
"Simple," he said. "I want to see what you can do."
Before the words fully left his mouth, he vanished.
To the investigators, he became nothing more than a blur. The front line was sent flying backward, crashing hard into an armored vehicle.
"Fire!"
Gunshots tore through the rain. Quinque rounds cut toward him.
They stopped midair, just inches from his body.
"Too slow."
With a flick of his hand, the bullets reversed direction at higher speed.
Cries rang out as investigators dropped, incapacitated but alive.
Ayato attacked next, his Ukaku striking in rapid bursts.
Sol sidestepped easily, catching his wrist mid-motion.
"Aogiri's kid, relax," Sol said, amused. "You're in a hurry to lose?"
"Let him go!" Noro's Kagune lashed out from the side.
Without even looking, Sol raised his left hand. An invisible force slammed into Noro, sending him sliding several meters back across the wet ground.