Three days later.
"The Ghoul Investigators in Ward 11 are already losing ground. I trust everyone understands how serious this is." Kureo Mado tapped his fingers heavily against the table.
The Ghoul Investigators seated below remained silent, each waiting for Kureo Mado to continue.
Their reaction was exactly what Kureo Mado had expected. Given the CCG's culture, few people volunteered to speak at large meetings. Everyone was busy with their own work.
"Please clean up the wards under your jurisdiction. If there are problems, I'll request command authority directly from the higher-ups. When that happens, I expect you all to perform well."
"Understood!"
Everyone answered in unison, then began leaving the meeting room in an orderly fashion.
"Are the ghouls in Ward 11 from Aogiri Tree?" Huiqi watched Kureo Mado's faintly amused expression.
"You guessed it. They are. These ghouls are well trained. Lower-ranking Ghoul Investigators are no match for them."
"Aogiri Tree, huh? In that case, I'll go there myself when the time comes."
"Oh? That's a rare treat. With you there, I won't have a thing to worry about."
"Tch."
Huiqi shook his head and walked out, leaving Kureo Mado alone.
"Today's weather forecast: rain."
"Rain? What a pain."
He casually pulled an umbrella from the communal stand and opened it. Outside, a light rain had begun to fall.
"Rain is lovely. I wish it would pour harder."
A small figure stood high above the ground, surrounded by several ghouls.
Jason, an S-rate rinkaku ghoul; Ayato Kirishima, an S-rate ukaku ghoul; Tatara, an SS-rate ghoul; Noro, an SS-rate ghoul; and Sen Takatsuki, an SSS-rate ghoul.
Four of them watched the brutal battle below. Aogiri Tree's ghouls slaughtered the Ghoul Investigators in a frenzy, their koukaku users holding the enemy down while those with other kagune types attacked. Within just a few exchanges, swathes of Ghoul Investigators lay dead.
Diluted by the rain, blood gradually spread throughout the streets. Red stains were everywhere, and the water in the drains had already turned blood-red.
"Executive Kuzen, the Ghoul Investigators are expected to strike Ward 11 in five days. Your plan is sound, right?" Tatara turned toward Sen Takatsuki beside him.
"No problems at all. Trust my inside information," the little girl named Yoshimura Kuzen answered.
"Did it come from the King?"
"The King is very busy."
After answering Tatara's question, Yoshimura Kuzen gave the next assignment.
"Yamori, go to Ward 20. Find anything connected to Rize Kamishiro and bring it back."
"No problem. With Nico's help, it should be easy."
The pliers in Yamori's hand clicked and clacked, and he could no longer hide his excitement. He still hadn't taken revenge for the aquarium incident. This time, he would capture Rise and torture her mercilessly.
"How are you doing, my toy in Ward 20? We're so close."
From where Sen Takatsuki stood, he could see Ward 20. Ward 11 and Ward 20 were very, very close.
Flashes lit up a pitch-black alley, accompanied by gunfire. Yet within seconds, the gunshots ceased, leaving only screams.
"Executioner... I need... crunch, crack... crack, crack... more power."
Tatara tore into a Ghoul Investigator's corpse, hatred burning in his eyes.
"Why did I suddenly get a chill down my back?" Huiqi pulled his clothes tighter, feeling as though someone bore him ill will.
Pitter-patter... drip, drop...
"When will it stop? Rain always washes away some traces."
Ding.
Bzzz...
The phone in his pocket chimed, immediately followed by a series of vibrations.
Huiqi took out his phone and swiped the screen.
Ward 20 Ghoul Investigators Nakajima, Kusaba: Spotted two suspicious individuals. They appear to be a mother and daughter. Kureo Mado: Received.
"An unexpected lead. The ghouls in Ward 20 should know Monkey or Black Dog, shouldn't they?"
Excited, Huiqi opened the map and followed the red dot on it.
"Will this plan work, Mr. Mado?"
"No idea. I'm just trying it out. The files say ghouls have a keen sense of smell, anyway."
At that, Kōtarō Amon fell silent and focused entirely on watching their surroundings.
"Don't be so nervous, Amon... The rain really is heavy today. I hope it doesn't ruin things."
Kureo Mado examined the briefcase in his hand. It wasn't a Quinque case, just an ordinary briefcase available anywhere, but it contained a genuine Quinque.
The Quinque manufactured by the CCG were tightly sealed, only releasing the original ghoul's scent when in use.
"Dad! Dad... tap, tap, tap..."
Urgent cries mingled with footsteps. With senses far sharper than an ordinary person's, Huiqi quickly pinpointed the direction of the sounds.
He strode toward the voices, using what he heard to move toward the ghouls at tremendous speed.
"Mom, I can sense Dad."
Hinami Fueguchi kept looking up at her mother.
"Hinami, how could that be... Could it... really be him?" Ryouko said, unusually agitated, hesitation and hope mingling in her eyes.
"It has to be Dad. I can already smell him..."
Before Hinami Fueguchi could finish, she stopped in the middle of the street, letting the heavy rain beat down on her.
The father she had imagined was nowhere to be seen. Before her stood only two tall men, one of whom looked particularly frightening.
"What wonderful rain... Though it'll be a problem if it gets any heavier."
"Well, well, well. Whose little baby has come outside? Are you looking for your father? What a good child..."
Kureo Mado raised the briefcase slightly, and Hinami Fueguchi's eyes followed it up and down.
"Your father is right here. Would you like a family reunion? A family can only be happy when everyone is together."
"Wh-what is that smell?"
Hinami Fueguchi's voice trembled.
"Hinami?!" Ryouko Fueguchi finally caught up, only to stop in her tracks at the sight.
"The child's guardian...? Heh, heh, heh... Now the whole family is here."
"Now, would you please give me some of your time?"
Ryouko Fueguchi didn't answer Kureo Mado's question. She intended to activate her kakugan and buy Hinami Fueguchi time to escape.
They look so familiar. Have I seen them somewhere before? As he watched the Fueguchi mother and daughter from a distance, familiar figures slowly emerged in his memory.
Three days ago, when Ken Kaneki had asked him a question as he was leaving Anteiku, this mother and daughter seemed to have been standing nearby.
Let's get closer and see... If it's those two, I'll have to adjust my plan a little.
"Ma'am, I suggest you don't release your kagune. Otherwise, two people will die at once."
Huiqi spoke in a mocking tone as he approached the two Fueguchis in the distance. As he drew closer, the figures in his memory became clear.
Hearing him, Ryouko Fueguchi spotted Huiqi, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.
The Executioner, an iconic figure of the CCG.
"You really do look familiar. We met at a café three days ago, didn't we? Heh, heh, heh. Who would have thought the place where I usually relax was a gathering spot for ghouls?"
Huiqi was now only half a body's length from Ryouko Fueguchi and Hinami, his voice quiet enough that only the three of them could hear.
P.S. This corresponds to the end of Ken Kaneki's Ghoul Restaurant incident and Shuu Tsukiyama's kidnapping of Kimi Nishino, and the beginning of the Fueguchi mother-and-daughter incident.
As for the timeline issues, there's really nothing I can do. To preserve the underlying logic, I can't give too much description of Ward 20. Everything happens in parallel, with a little overlap, so the timeline looks rather confusing.
Before you continue