"Damn it, he actually stole my wallet! I'm going to teach him a lesson when I get the chance!" Louis was on the morning shift, and the mere thought of it made him grit his teeth in anger.
He had tried to give chase as soon as he noticed, but the guy was even more agile than he was and had vanished in the time it took to exchange a few words.
After all his hard work, Suzuya had swiped half a month's wages in one go.
Damn it!
"You noticed Kaneki getting robbed but didn't notice your own wallet being stolen. What am I supposed to say to that?" Irimi Kyouko, who was working the same shift, pressed a hand to her forehead.
"Didn't I tell you to pay more attention to yourself?"
"This was an accident..." Louis sighed inwardly. An ordinary pickpocket would never have gotten close to him, but this one was anything but ordinary.
Luckily, there had been nothing important in his wallet besides money. Otherwise, he would have had to chase the thief down, even if it meant running eight streets.
While they were busy working, the television on the wall suddenly began broadcasting news about the CCG.
[CCG headquarters: additional investigators dispatched to Ward 11 and Ward 20...]
"..." Watching the news, Louis realized their peace was about to be shattered again.
The Ghoul Countermeasures Planning Bureau would surely send reinforcements strong enough to account for the last battle.
In other words, if another battle broke out, their previous lineup would definitely not be enough.
The four Ghoul Investigators already in Ward 20 were troublesome enough. If more arrived... Semi-Special-Class, or even Special-Class investigators were simply beyond what the younger generation could handle.
"Is Ward 20 really that dangerous...? Is it because the balance has been upset?" Hide, who was sitting in the café watching the news, suddenly muttered to himself.
"Huh?" Kaneki froze. He had always paid close attention to Hide.
"Oh, I think there's a ghoul organization in Ward 20," Hide said, casually sharing his thoughts.
"Wh-why do you think that, Hide?" Kaneki panicked a little, instinctively thinking of Anteiku.
Even Nishiki Nishio's expression grew slightly strained, not just Kaneki's.
"Well... ghoul feeding incidents are extremely rare in Ward 20. I think that's probably because the ghouls here are very united." Hide rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"The Gourmet and Gluttony both disappeared right when their feeding activity was at its peak. That means Ward 20's ghoul organization might have rounded up all those unstable elements to avoid a CCG investigation."
"..." Kaneki's expression grew worse with every word Hide spoke.
He really had the nerve to say that...
Louis glanced at Hide, somewhat impressed by his courage. He was actually talking so casually in a place full of ghouls.
Hide probably already knew that most of the people here were ghouls. He was likely saying this to see Kaneki's reaction while gathering information by observing everyone.
Impressive...
Louis remembered that Hide later joined the CCG as a clerical employee for some reason. As he recalled, their entry requirements were quite demanding, yet Hide had not even graduated from university when he joined.
And... he was just an ordinary person, yet he would secretly uncover a great deal in the future and play a crucial role.
"Kaneki?" Hide suddenly looked at him in puzzlement. "Why do you look so pale?"
Meanwhile, at the CCG's Ward 20 branch, Amon, Kureo Mado, and the others had already met the newly assigned Ghoul Investigators.
"Mr. Hōji! I never expected you to be the one coming to reinforce us!" Yu Fura immediately grew excited when he saw who had arrived.
"Yes. I heard the few S-rank ghouls that suddenly appeared in Ward 20 were proving troublesome, so they sent me over." A tall, lean, muscular man nodded solemnly, his manner courteous and respectful.
His name was Hōji Kōsuke, a Semi-Special-Class Ghoul Investigator and a classic combat specialist. He had played a major role in the operation that wiped out the Red Tongue Brigade, the organization Tatara had belonged to, and possessed both extensive experience and formidable strength.
"And this young man." Hōji gestured toward the comparatively slender young investigator beside him. "He's my partner."
"I'm Take Hirako, a Second-Class Ghoul Investigator. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Take Hirako immediately stood bolt upright and bowed to everyone. He seemed to have only recently become a Ghoul Investigator and looked very green.
"Amon, he's a fan of yours." Hōji smiled. "He seems a little nervous about meeting you."
"Investigator Hōji... I... um..." Hearing that, Take grew even more flustered and began stumbling over his words.
Amon had no dislike for the junior investigator and readily offered his hand. "I look forward to working with you, Take Hirako."
Seeing his idol take the initiative to shake his hand immediately lifted Take's spirits.
"Mr. Amon! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
After their brief meeting, the group dispersed. Kureo Mado slipped his left hand into his pocket and began reading a report held in his right.
"Amon, we've been transferred to the special countermeasures squad..."
"Huh?" Amon paused.
"I requested it myself... Though I'm reluctant to give up on Ice Mask and Rabbit, apparently someone even bigger might appear..." Kureo Mado narrowed his eyes, his grip on the report suddenly tightening. A rare trace of anger appeared on his face, and his voice trembled slightly. "Aogiri Tree... the One-Eyed Owl..."
After closing time, several of them sat in the café discussing the CCG's movements and the latest situation in the various wards.
According to the information Yomo had brought back, the CCG was assembling a Ghoul Investigation Team to launch a crackdown on Ward 11.
"In that case, this could turn into a war." Enji Koma let out a long sigh and stared at the ceiling. "Still, if that happens, I might get to make my comeback as the Devil Ape..."
"You're still clinging to that little bit of fame you had back then." Irimi Kyouko shook her head. "By now, the CCG are probably the only ones who still remember you."
"Speaking of which, why have the ghouls in Ward 11 suddenly become so active?" Louis could not help interjecting.
"Hmm..." Koma rubbed his chin and looked toward the door leading upstairs. "According to the rumors, an organization looking for someone clashed with a ghoul organization in Ward 11. It seems the conflict was pretty large, too, and both organizations caught the CCG's attention."
Looking for someone... Rize?
Going by the plot, if Ward 11 was starting to descend into turmoil, that meant those people would soon come looking for trouble at Anteiku.
Who was coming again...?
Aogiri Tree's executive, the S-Plus Rank Yamori, and Touka's younger brother, Ayato Kirishima. Those two were the difficult opponents. Both seemed considerably stronger than Touka, and Louis did not even know whether he could beat her yet.
Ugh...
If only he knew exactly which day they would come...
Then they could simply keep one more employee around. As long as it wasn't Nishiki Nishio, they could make sure those guys never left.
If the manager himself were there... he could haul Yamori outside with one hand and beat him senseless.
Unfortunately, with everything happening lately, the manager and Yomo had been coming to the café less and less...
[Ding! This plot event is a crucial part of Ken Kaneki's transformation. The host cannot change it! Please refrain from taking unnecessary action!]
In Ward 11, a man wearing a black rabbit mask easily killed three Ghoul Investigators, then nodded in disappointment.
"They weren't even worth fighting..." He removed his mask, revealing a youthful yet somewhat fierce face.
"Has that idiot Banjō sent any more news?" he asked his subordinates.
"Not yet," a subordinate wearing a red cloak immediately replied.
"Ah... damn it. At this rate, Yamori and Noro will beat us to it..." Ayato Kirishima sighed and took off his black rabbit mask.
"Forget it. We're going to Ward 20 too. Our objective is to capture Rize."
"Yes!"
According to the information from Ward 11's ghouls, Rize had left for Ward 20 long ago. Yamori, who had been pursuing her whereabouts all this time, had already headed there.
"Ward 20... are they going to get there first...?" Ayato Kirishima looked at the Black Rabbit Mask in his hand, thought for a moment, then made his decision.
"Let's go!"
Before you continue