Strays with nowhere to go: the Fueguchi mother and daughter seek refuge!

Morning. Fine spring rain pattered against the bright glass windows with a soft rustle. All of Tokyo's 20th Ward lay shrouded in misty drizzle. On the muddy streets, scattered pedestrians hurried along beneath their umbrellas.

Yet amid that cold, gloomy curtain of rain, Anteiku was filled with a warm, elegant fragrance. The roasted aroma of coffee beans drifted slowly through the air.

Warm steam curled from the spout of a small copper kettle. Beneath the wooden eaves outside, a small golden Dragon Banner fluttered in the wind. Its color was a rich, pure dark gold.

The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon on the banner looked majestic, powerful, and vividly alive. Despite the wind and rain, not a trace of moisture touched this Dragon Banner of the Great Empire. It radiated a faint, noble golden glow.

The light joined together, forming an invisible defensive barrier that firmly protected the entire café. Within this small, sacred barrier...

The savage, bloodthirsty RC Cells were forcibly soothed. Every tracking device targeting Ghouls, every trace of cold malice, was erased outright by the supreme Great Empire Law the instant it touched the banner's golden light.

This place had become the only undisturbed sanctuary in the entire cold city. At that moment, Touka Kirishima stood with her head lowered, her expression gentle. She held an exquisite white porcelain pot, pouring a thin stream of boiling water in a graceful arc.

It flowed over the coffee filter. Her movements were light, her expression calm. The anger and defiance that had once filled her eyes had long since vanished. Deep within them, only peace with her life and gratitude toward the divine remained.

Rize Kamishiro sat elegantly beside a round mahogany table by the window. She wore a clean white dress. Before her sat a plate of freshly made strawberry