Washuu Tsuneyoshi gripped the report in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
Cochlea had now practically become Carnage's backyard. He came whenever he wanted and left whenever he pleased, and they had no way to stop him.
Putting the problem of Carnage aside for the moment, the public opinion surrounding Takatsuki Sen alone was already a huge issue that had to be dealt with first.
If this problem was not resolved soon, the Washuu Clan would be forced out of power.
The public outcry from the new book launch refused to die down, making him furious yet somewhat helpless.
Takatsuki Sen's new book was like a thorn stuck in the CCG's throat. They could neither spit it out nor swallow it.
Those insinuations in the book were practically one step away from directly listing the Washuu Clan's address.
The people below said nothing on the surface, but who knew what kinds of rumors were spreading behind the scenes.
Recently the atmosphere in the headquarters corridors carried an indescribable tension. Even the sound of footsteps felt awkward.
"A bunch of useless fools."
The low voice came from the head seat, making the air in the meeting room grow heavier.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the people below like blades.
"The public opinion cannot be suppressed, and there are no leads either. The nest of those rats from Aogiri Tree still hasn't shown even a shadow?"
Washuu Matsuri, seated to the side, straightened slightly under that gaze. His voice remained steady but could not conceal the pressure.
"Recently ghoul activity has been unusually quiet.
We are increasing the scale of our investigations, but at present there has indeed been no breakthrough."
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's mouth curved downward slightly. He did not speak, but his gaze grew even darker.
He knew that the high ranking investigators below were not fools. The things hidden between the lines of that book were enough to plant seeds of suspicion in their hearts.
What they lacked now was an excuse to shift the internal conflict.
An event large enough to attract everyone's attention.
He needed a victory. A bloody victory that could make people temporarily forget about books and suspicion.
"Investigate." Washuu Tsuneyoshi's voice was not loud, yet every word felt like a nail hammered into the table.
"Spread every net we have. What I want is not vague clues, but a definite opening we can tear apart."
He paused, his eyes sharp like a ghoul before striking prey.
"If the inside cannot fall into chaos, then from the outside we find a target that will make them clench their fists again."
...
After leaving Cochlea, the three of them went straight back to the Aogiri Tree base.
The lighting in the meeting room was adjusted to a soft tone, and the scent of freshly ground coffee floated through the air.
Eto had spent three days in prison, and having suddenly returned to a familiar environment, her body still carried the faint weakness that followed tension.
She almost sank into the soft sofa and let out a long breath.
"Hoo. In the past few days, has there been any movement from the CCG side?" Her muffled voice came from the sofa.
Amano Hiro leaned back against the sofa, his fingertips resting on the warm surface of the cup. Hearing that, he smiled slightly.
"They are probably overwhelmed right now."
"Hm?" Eto lifted her head from the back of the sofa, somewhat surprised.
"The public opinion still hasn't been suppressed? With their methods, that shouldn't happen."
"It is somewhat unusual." Amano Hiro picked up the coffee and drank slowly.
"The Tsukiyama family and several other ghoul families have been secretly pushing things behind the scenes. It will not be easy for the CCG to simply calm the situation."
"Heh." Eto grinned, a teasing glint flashing in her eyes. "So the three days I spent in prison were quite worthwhile?"
"The effect is indeed better than expected."
Amano Hiro nodded, but then his tone shifted slightly, carrying a calm analysis.
"However, the CCG will not sit and wait to die. Right now they need a major move more than ever. A target that can divert all attention and internal conflict."
He placed the cup down, producing a faint clink.
"Otherwise the Washuu Clan's seat will not remain stable."
Rize quietly leaned against Amano Hiro's shoulder, her fingers twirling a strand of hair. A faint smile rested on her lips and she did not interrupt.
For a moment the reception room held only the soft sounds of cups and saucers occasionally touching.
Amid the silence, Amano Hiro suddenly spoke, his voice breaking the quiet.
"However, this situation is also an opportunity."
Eto raised herself from the sofa. "An opportunity?"
"An opportunity to strike the CCG directly." Amano Hiro's gaze was calm but carried a certain cold calculation.
"Recall all Aogiri Tree personnel scattered outside and gather them at Rushima. Then leak the location of the base to the CCG."
Eto froze for a moment.
"You mean intentionally exposing Rushima? Isn't that too risky?"
She rapidly thought through it in her mind. At present the top combat strength of Aogiri Tree was indeed formidable. If it came to a direct confrontation, their chances of victory were very high.
But if it escalated into a full scale battle, the lower members would inevitably suffer heavy casualties.
"No." Amano Hiro suddenly gave a faint laugh, though the smile held little warmth.
"No one needs to act."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the soft crown of Rize's hair on his shoulder and settling on Eto as he spoke each word clearly.
"I will do it myself."
"At that time, I will let all ghouls and humans see what the true One Eyed King is."
Eto's pupils shrank as she stared at him. After a long moment she managed to squeeze out a voice.
"You."
Eto was stunned speechless by those words.
Single handedly challenging the entire CCG? Saying that out loud sounded unbelievably arrogant.
Even though she understood how unfathomable Amano Hiro's strength was, her heart still gave a heavy thump as her fingers unconsciously tightened around the cup handle.
Despite the shock, a strange intuition told her that Amano Hiro could do it.
If he truly accomplished it, it would no longer be a simple display of force.
He would become a beam of light that truly tore through the darkness. At that time, every ghoul.
Not to mention families or rebellious troublemakers. Any ghoul would inevitably be convinced by him.
Seeing Eto's stunned expression, the faint smile at the corner of Amano Hiro's mouth deepened slightly. His tone instead relaxed, as if discussing the weather.
"Relax. It's not as exaggerated as you think."
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees while looking at her calmly.
"My goal is not to kill everyone. Breaking them will be enough."
He paused, and a trace of cold amusement entered his voice.
"Some people have to be left alive so they can cooperate with our next plan."
Eto did not reply immediately. She lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the warm surface of the cup.
The meeting room was quiet, with only the fragrance of coffee spreading silently.
Amano Hiro did not rush her, allowing the silence to stretch.
Rize still leaned against his side, the curve of her lips unchanged. She believed in him.
Time passed slowly as the faint light outside shifted across the carpet.
Finally Eto raised her eyes. The hesitation and shock within them settled into clear determination.
"Alright." Her voice was not loud but carried decisive firmness. "We'll do it the way Hiro said."
She placed the cup down and leaned forward, returning to her usual sharp expression filled with ambition.
"In the next few days I will begin recalling the members scattered everywhere and concentrate the forces at Rushima."
Amano Hiro nodded, his expression still calm. He lightly patted the back of Rize's hand before standing up.
"Good." He adjusted his sleeve cuffs. "Then I'll leave this side to you."