Inside the speeding car, Amon Koutarou's eyes stayed locked on the vehicle ahead, tension evident on his face. The convoy's speed had already surpassed 100 km/h—one small mistake, and they'd all crash spectacularly. Yet Mado Kureo, seated calmly in the passenger seat, paid no mind. Holding his phone, he simply discussed the coming operation with Lancer as though oblivious to danger.
"The advance team is already on their way. If everything goes as expected, our convoy should be spotted as soon as we approach the Ghoul Restaurant's perimeter. At that point, those Ghouls will likely scatter, so—"
"I'll do my best to stall them!"
"No! That's unnecessary. Though the 20th Ward has fewer Ghouls compared to other wards, anyone capable of running a Ghoul Restaurant is at least S-rated. You might be able to stall him with your strength, but with other Ghouls interfering, I doubt you'll last long. Now that the 'Binge Eater' is dead and Jason is an outsider, this place must belong to the Gourmet. So I need you to seize the Gourmet's tail! If my guess is correct, the lead you're looking for is probably tied directly to him."
Lancer knew about the Tsukiyama Family because he knew the "plot," but clearly, Mado Kureo did not. With just scattered bits of intelligence and intuition alone, Mado had already deduced the situation almost perfectly. It was terrifying—but also reassuring, given he was an ally.
"Yes, sir!"
...
While the CCG mobilized their forces, Tsukiyama Shuu stood in a lavish VIP room within the Ghoul Restaurant, furiously splashing cold water over his body.
But even beneath the cold shower, he still felt his blood boiling uncontrollably.
Magnificent! Marvelous!! Simply divine!! I've never felt anything like this before!!
For Ghouls, feeding was merely an act to survive. In truth, no matter how it was cooked, human flesh only tasted progressively worse. But for Tsukiyama, rather than "flavor," he savored the twisted joy it brought deep inside his heart.
Creak—
"Shuu-sama."
Just as Tsukiyama sank into the distorted ecstasy, nearing a state of bliss, a sudden voice pulled him violently back to reality. His face instantly twisted with annoyance, but given who had interrupted, he managed to restrain his temper—for once.
"Yomo-kun? Didn't I make myself clear? I don't appreciate being disturbed unless absolutely necessary."
"Yes, Shuu-sama! But the situation is urgent; please allow me to report."
Tsukiyama stepped casually from the bathroom, wrapping just a single towel around his waist, completely unbothered by Yomo's respectful kneeling posture. Both had long since grown accustomed to this.
"Speak then. What is it?"
"Our informants near the perimeter report a high-speed convoy approaching rapidly—about ten minutes away. Although we're still verifying details, it's most likely CCG."
"Hm… It seems my previous precautions were quite wise indeed~ Those ordinary humans truly are blind spots for the Investigators. Still, I didn't expect the CCG to actually find this place… could there be a traitor? Yomo-kun, please investigate thoroughly afterward."
The so-called "informants" weren't Ghouls, but ordinary humans. However, these humans weren't exactly betraying humanity—most didn't even realize who their employer was, assuming they were working for some underground casino or a similarly shady business.
As Tsukiyama Shuu smugly praised his own foresight, Yomo helped him dress meticulously. After several minutes, fully attired, Tsukiyama carefully fixed his hairstyle in the mirror before finally breaking into a dazzling smile.
"Yomo-kun, inform our familiar friends discreetly; tell them to leave early."
"And what about the others…?"
"Hehe~ Let them stay right where they are. The CCG went through so much trouble to find this place; we should give them a nice little treat, don't you agree?"
For the twisted Tsukiyama Shuu, this Ghoul Restaurant was merely a spontaneous whim. Although abandoning it would be a pity, his rational mind insisted it was the best option—and he chose to follow his reason. As for the Ghouls he left behind…
Of course, it wasn't kindness or generosity toward the Investigators; rather, he knew better than anyone how terrifying the CCG could be once fully provoked. Sacrificing a few worthless Ghouls—who weren't even his subordinates—to grant the Investigators an easy victory was undoubtedly the ideal solution. After all, those nobodies held no valuable information, merely insects drawn by bright lights.
As soon as Yomo relayed Tsukiyama's instructions to the other elite Ghouls, they all made precisely the same choice: quietly retreat.
Yet no one expected the "unexpected" to suddenly strike at this very moment.
"Aaaaghhh!!"
Today's original main dish had been Kaneki Ken, but due to Tsukiyama's meddling, Kaneki was sent safely back to Anteiku. Instead, the remaining diners were feasting on Lady A's henchmen. No one anticipated that a scream would suddenly pierce through the air.
Because screams were common background noise within the Ghoul Restaurant, most guests initially ignored it, assuming the "kitchen" was merely preparing fresh "ingredients." But as the screams intensified, growing nearer, everyone finally sensed something wrong.
A Ghoul standing near the outer edge irritably got up to check, but as he rose, all he saw was a flash of cold steel—
Crash—!
Accompanied by a loud impact, the Ghoul's face twisted horribly as he flew backward, skewered by a blood-colored spear that pinned him mercilessly against the wall.
As the screams and chaos drew ever closer, a blood-soaked figure burst from the doorway. Without a single unnecessary word, he charged into the crowd, spear already raised.
No one knew who this blood-drenched attacker was, but he was clearly an enemy.
Several Kagune shot toward him instantly.
His spear swept away a heavy Koukaku, and he twisted sharply to dodge several piercing Rinkaku strikes. Yet, against the fastest Ukaku shards, he couldn't evade them completely. But, drenched entirely in blood, no one could clearly see if he'd been injured. He paid no attention to any wounds he might've sustained, thrusting forward viciously with his spear, piercing straight through one Ghoul's chest before brutally swinging the weapon sideways.
BANG—!!
The overwhelmingly forceful strike sent even a Ghoul's superhuman body stumbling backwards. Before the Ghoul could recover, the spear-wielding figure was already upon him again—
Shunk—!
Under a rain of blood, the dark crimson spear shone with an eerie, bloodthirsty glow.
---
T/N: holy shit yomo is hot
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