20th Ward, Anteiku.
"Yoshimura-san, Touka-san, I'm truly overflowing with gratitude!" As he spoke, Banjou Kazuichi made a move to perform a proper dogeza to express his deep thankfulness.
If it hadn't been for Kirishima Touka and the others rescuing them, he and the old, weak and sickly folks under his protection would probably have been slaughtered by the CCG.
However, just as his knees were about to touch the floor, Yomo Renji beside him reacted with sharp eyes and quick hands, reaching out to stop him.
"Yomo-san..." Banjou Kazuichi turned his head, looking at Yomo Renji who had stopped him, eyes filled with confusion.
At that moment, Yoshimura Kuzen, hands clasped behind his back and a kind smile on his face, slowly began to speak.
"Banjou-kun, you've helped us too. At Anteiku, our policy is mutual assistance."
Banjou Kazuichi nodded, somewhat embarrassed.
"It's nothing, I just shared a bit of information, how could that possibly compare to a life-saving favor?"
Kirishima Touka leaned gloomily against the wall, arms crossed in front of her, her long bangs obscuring her face, making her look especially downcast.
She knew exactly what the 24th Ward was like.
That sewer-like place offered Kaneki little to no chance of survival. Just thinking about that stabbed at her heart.
Sensing the heavy mood in the room, Banjou Kazuichi quickly tried to comfort everyone.
"No need to worry, everyone. I'm not sure what Ayato did, but although Kaneki-san's mental state looked a bit off, he gave me a strong feeling."
He paused for a moment, then looked thoughtful.
"He felt very similar to Rize-san. Also very powerful. He'll be fine."
Nishio Nishiki adjusted his glasses, looking completely unconcerned. Having received a fierce massage from Kaneki, he knew full well just how powerful the guy was.
"No one's actually worried about that guy's safety. Kaneki might look dumb, but he's unexpectedly strong."
"The 24th Ward is a mess of tunnels and passages. The real issue is finding him," someone muttered.
At that moment, Hinami-chan shyly raised her hand and softly said:
"I know Onii-chan's scent very well. If we're going to look for him, I also wants to help!"
Her big, glistening eyes looked at everyone expectantly.
Irimi Kaya gently stroked the little Hinami's smooth brown hair.
"That place isn't somewhere you should go, Hinami-chan. Leave this to us adults."
Hinami-chan looked up at Irimi Kaya, puffing out her soft pink cheeks as if wanting to argue.
Clack-
Just then, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open.
"Hinami-chan is so adorable! My dear friend Kaneki is trapped, how could I sit by and do nothing as his friend!"
Standing in the doorway was Tsukiyama Shuu, dressed in a deep purple suit.
He turned slightly, and with one hand casually gestured to the group of people standing behind him.
Koma Enji rubbed his chin and sighed.
"So lively… it's been a long time since I felt this fired up."
A faint trace of worry flickered in Yoshimura Kuzen's eyes. Not seeing Uesugi Ryu in the 11th Ward had made him concerned for his daughter.
That bizarre suit of armor he'd seen in the 11th Ward had shaken him. The CCG's technology was evolving, and their strength was growing ever more formidable.
The CCG was loudly proclaiming their victory on television as well, claiming they had nearly annihilated Aogiri Tree, and the clean-up work in the 11th Ward was progressing rapidly.
Although no specific intel was released, it was clear that Aogiri Tree's plans had largely been thwarted.
"Inori has some information from Aogiri Tree regarding the 24th Ward. They've marked out a rough search range, and Ken's probably still on the surface level."
Yomo Renji lightly pulled a map from inside his coat and spread it out on the table.
Yoshimura Kuzen nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Nishio Nishiki standing to the side.
"Nishio-kun, you don't need to participate in this operation. You've worked hard recently. Take a good rest after you return."
It wasn't that they didn't want to bring Nishio along, it was just that his strength really wasn't enough. The 24th Ward was extremely dangerous.
A-rated ghouls were as common as dirt, and S-rated ghouls appeared regularly.
Nishio not only lacked any particularly outstanding abilities, but his overall strength was also subpar.
Bringing him along would be of little help, and would even require manpower to protect him.
Upon hearing this, Nishio Nishiki couldn't help but feel a wave of frustration. He scratched his head, looking around the room.
Besides Hinami-chan, everyone else had at least S-rated strength. He really did seem like the weakest one there.
Thinking of this, Nishio let out a helpless sigh and responded, "Yeah, I understand."
At that moment, Tsukiyama Shuu, who had been quiet, let out a low chuckle and teasingly said:
"Still, if nothing else, Nishio-kun's tenacity is quite admirable."
"You bastard!" Nishio scowled at him, clearly irritated.
Tsukiyama, however, remained unfazed, laughing as he waved a hand.
"Haha, don't get mad~ I was only joking."
...
Uesugi Ryu slowly placed the book he'd already read halfway through onto the bedside table. Feeling a bit bored, he turned his head to look out the window.
Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, scattering soft light onto the window ledge, casting mottled shadows.
Most of Uesugi Ryu's injuries were superficial. He could be discharged by tomorrow, he'd just need to return regularly for dressing changes.
At this moment, the wounds on Uesugi Ryu's body had basically healed.
Mephisto had used the Sharingan to hypnotize and implant suggestions into both the doctor and the nurse caring for Uesugi Ryu, so there was no need to worry about anything suspicious being noticed.
Thinking of this, the corners of Uesugi Ryu's mouth curved up slightly, and he thought to himself with satisfaction:
"Having a capable pet is really handy. I don't even have to lift a finger for these errands."
Uesugi Ryu had called Nagachika Hideyoshi and asked him to send over information on Takatsuki Sen.
As a famous writer, Takatsuki Sen didn't own much property, officially, only two places.
It wasn't strange at all for an investigator to show up and "check the water meter," was it? ￣へ￣
Still, it was unlikely that Yoshimura Eto would be convalescing at home. Uesugi Ryu's real goal was to get a handle on her general whereabouts.
Kakuhou injuries weren't something that could heal on their own. Yoshimura Eto had most likely gone to the 24th Ward to feed on other ghouls to rapidly replenish her RC cells and recover.
As a well-known writer, she'd still have to make public appearances occasionally to avoid suspicion. Takatsuki Sen's editor, Shiono Shunji, would also need to be monitored.
These weren't things he could delegate to the CCG branch, doing that would make him look like a stalker. After all, Uesugi Ryu had no legitimate reason to investigate her.
That's where Mephisto came in handy.
The visual sharing ability was bi-directional. As the master, Uesugi Ryu could also actively initiate the vision link. If Mephisto wanted to connect, he'd have to send a request first.
Uesugi Ryu thought to himself:
"I wonder how Mephisto's investigation is going. I should check through shared vision and see what's going on."