Ward 7, CCG Branch Office.
Fura Taishi, dressed in a suit and with a close-cropped haircut, looked at the young man before him, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his eyes.
The days of operating alongside Arima twelve years ago felt like they had just happened yesterday. He smiled faintly and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"I really have become a middle-aged old man now, huh."
Uesugi Ryu briefly observed the man in front of him, he had some impression of Fura Taishi.
He used to have that "shamate" orange-dyed hair, right?
Now, he actually looked the part of a proper First-Class Investigator.
Fura Taishi was Arima Kishou's high school classmate and friend.
After his childhood friend was killed by a ghoul, he resolved to become an investigator, and joined the CCG through Arima Kishou's recommendation.
What he hadn't expected was that Fura Taishi would end up becoming the director of the Ward 7 branch.
When Uesugi Ryu and Mado Akira had come to investigate in Ward 7 last time, they hadn't encountered him.
Uesugi Ryu slowly laid out a topographic map on the table, his gaze calm as he looked at Fura Taishi.
"First-Class Investigator Fura, this map of the Saionji Concert Hall isn't of much use."
"Next, I'll personally infiltrate and scout the area. You all just stay outside and prepare for backup support."
No one present raised any objections, anyone capable of repelling the One-Eyed Owl had the strength to make such statements.
Fura Taishi nodded.
"Understood."
At this moment, Mado Kureo gripped the concert advertisement poster in his hand.
A slight frown creased his brow, and his face bore a puzzled expression.
"Ryu, is this auction taking place after the concert ends, or is it going to run concurrently with it?"
"If it's being held simultaneously, evacuating the crowd will be problematic."
By logic, for ghouls, holding both events at the same time would be ideal.
It provides cover and also forces the CCG to hesitate due to the human crowd.
But that's the mindset of ordinary ghouls.
Those able to attend an auction like this are ghouls of status and pedigree.
They won't hide like rats in the sewer.
The so-called auctioned humans weren't the focus for these ghouls anyway.
What they enjoyed was the thrill of wanton domination over humans.
It was also a chance to release their primal ghoul instincts.
A frenzied, unrestrained revelry in the center of the concert hall was their true way of doing things.
"The auction will be held after the concert concludes, around midnight. As for crowd evacuation, you needn't worry about that."
On the whiteboard beside them, a picture of the Saionji Concert Hall was pinned up.
A large red circle had been drawn over it.
Uesugi Ryu slowly stood up, his eyes sweeping across the many investigators seated in the conference room.
"This time, we're going to drive out every last one of these filth! Begin the operation!"
...
Midnight.
Everything was deathly still.
The exterior of the Saionji Concert Hall was pitch-black, but one of its inner halls was bustling with activity.
At the entrance stood two burly ghoul security guards.
Their eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings non-stop, examining each guest entering the hall with scrutiny.
At that moment, a noblewoman in elegant attire, wearing pale green round glasses, Madam A, walked over slowly.
Behind her followed two guards wearing black-and-white striped masks.
As Madam A reached the entrance, the two ghoul security guards immediately straightened their backs and adopted respectful expressions.
They quickly verified the invitation handed over by one of the guards.
Once the secrecy measures were confirmed, they bowed slightly and gestured with their hands to welcome the distinguished guest into the venue.
"Milady, please come in!"
Meanwhile, Uesugi Ryu, who had long since slipped inside unnoticed, was leaning against a nearby pillar, leisurely observing the guests as they came and went.
His eyes were drawn to Madam A and her escorts as they stepped in.
Upon seeing their familiar figures, a faint smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
But his gaze didn't linger long on the Yasuhisa sisters, it wasn't surprising.
Madam A was Kaneki Ken's target. As her bodyguards, the Yasuhisa sisters would naturally follow along.
Uesugi Ryu wasn't in the mood for a classmate reunion either. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the restrooms.
A ghoul in a black suit had just headed in that direction. Uesugi Ryu moved silently and swiftly followed.
Yasuhisa Kurona suddenly felt a gaze that seemed oddly familiar. Her senses were sharp, she turned her head toward the direction of that feeling.
However, all she saw was a column decorated with intricate patterns.
Other than a few passing ghouls nearby, there wasn't a single visible figure.
"Kurona, what's wrong?"
Yasuhisa Nashiro, who had been walking a short distance ahead, noticed her sister's unusual behavior and stopped to ask.
Kurona frowned slightly and thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Nothing. Just felt like someone was watching me just now. Let's keep going."
After speaking, she and Nashiro followed Madam A and continued into the depths of the exhibition hall.
Inside the quiet restroom, the sound of running water echoed from the faucet.
A ghoul wearing a black mask was standing before the mirror, using a towel to dry his damp hands.
The mirror clearly reflected his figure, and beneath the mask, a faint glimpse of his face.
Uesugi Ryu silently appeared behind the ghoul, his eyes also fixed on the mirror.
The ghoul showed a bit of anticipation on his face and murmured to himself, "I'm really looking forward to it. Wonder what kind of fun stuff they'll have at this auction."
But the moment he lifted his head, he was startled to see that the mirror now showed another figure behind him.
The ghoul's eyes widened in horror as he tried to make a sound.
But Uesugi Ryu's hands were already clasped tightly around his neck like iron pincers.
Looking at the terrified expression of the ghoul, Uesugi Ryu's lips curved into a brilliant smile.
"I think you're plenty fun~"
"No need to panic. Deep breaths. Feeling dizzy is normal, just bear with it a little longer..."
As the words left his mouth, the muscles in his arms suddenly tightened.
Crack.
A crisp snapping sound echoed, Uesugi Ryu had forcibly broken the ghoul's neck.
After storing the corpse into the system space, Uesugi Ryu clapped his hands dismissively, as if shaking off filth.
Then, his figure twisted, transforming directly into the appearance of that very ghoul.
He lightly hummed a tune as he walked casually out of the restroom.
This particular target had been a real pain to track down.
After all, who walks into a venue and heads straight to the restroom unless they've got prostate issues?
In the end, he had Mephisto hypnotize the man, extract his identity info, and implant a post-hypnotic suggestion to go to the restroom.
Only then did Uesugi Ryu make his move.
The crackling of static buzzed through his earpiece.
"Damn it. These dog-like bastards are pretty cautious. They even brought a signal jammer."
Uesugi Ryu cursed silently in his mind and reached up to remove the Bluetooth earpiece from his ear.