The cafe bell jingled crisply, Allen pushed the door open, and the rain shimmered with a cold light under the neon signs.
He stood under the eaves, feeling several piercing gazes from behind penetrate the glass and land on his back. Kirishima Touka's purple hair flashed past the window, and her Kagugan flickered in and out of sight in the shadows.
Allen's lips curved slightly. His fingertips lightly grazed the cafe's exterior wall, and the concrete surface was carved with five deep grooves as if it were tofu. He deliberately slowed his pace, ensuring everyone inside the shop could clearly see this scene.
"See you tomorrow, Manager," Allen's voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough for everyone in the cafe to hear.
Turning the corner, Allen's figure disappeared into the rain. Inside the cafe, Yoshimura Kuzen slowly took off his glasses, his hand trembling slightly as he wiped the lenses with his apron. Kirishima Touka rushed to the old man's side, her Kagugan fully manifested.
"Manager, that human—"
"He's not human, nor is he a Ghoul," Yoshimura Kuzen interrupted her, his voice deep. "At least he's definitely not a Ghoul."
Irimi Kaya's tray clattered to the floor, the coffee cup shattering into several pieces. Kaneki Ken stood in the corner, his face pale, the book in his hand crumpled.
"Kaneki Ken?" Kirishima Touka frowned, looking at him.
"N-nothing," Kaneki Ken forced a smile. "I just found that customer a bit frightening."
Yoshimura Kuzen's gaze lingered on Kaneki Ken for a moment, deep in thought. He turned to the other staff, his voice returning to its usual gentleness: "We're closing early today, Touka. Please put up the 'Closed' sign."
The next day, night fell.
A heavy rain suddenly poured down tonight, and Tokyo's neon lights blurred into indistinct splotches in the rain. Allen stood atop a tall building, rainwater sliding down his black trench coat, yet a thin, transparent film prevented the rain from ever soaking his clothes.
He looked down at the figures gathering on the street below, his crimson eyes particularly striking in the darkness.
"It seems the Manager is a man of his word," Allen murmured to himself. He raised his hand, and rainwater collected in a small puddle in his palm, reflecting the increasing number of figures on the street below: Anteiku Cafe staff, ordinary Ghouls from the 20th Ward, and even a few unfamiliar faces from other wards.
At the same time, the CCG Headquarters building was brightly lit. Special Class Investigator Marude Itsuki stood in front of an electronic screen, his brow furrowed: "An unusual situation has occurred in the 20th Ward. Anteiku Cafe has suddenly gathered a large number of Ghouls."
"Could it be a routine meeting?" a young Investigator asked.
"Impossible," Marude Itsuki shook his head. "Yoshimura Kuzen, that old fox, would never act so conspicuously."
On the other side, within the Aogiri Tree's stronghold, Tatara's eyes gleamed coldly beneath his mask: "There's movement in the 20th Ward. Yoshimura Kuzen is gathering people."
"Should we send someone to check it out?" Noro's deep voice sounded.
Tatara pondered for a moment: "Have Kirishima Ayato lead the team. Be careful."
"I'll go too," Noro wanted to see what kind of trick the cafe was trying to pull.
In the rainy night, various factions began to converge on the 20th Ward. Allen stood atop the tall building, looking down at the hurried dark figures on the street below. A cold smile played on his lips: "Perfect timing."
On the street below, Yoshimura Kuzen stood at the front of the crowd with an umbrella, his grizzled eyebrows tightly furrowed. Beside him, Kirishima Touka anxiously looked around: "Manager, what exactly does that person want to do?"
"I'm not sure," Yoshimura Kuzen's voice was low. "But we must cooperate with him. For survival, we have no choice..."
Just then, dazzling headlights suddenly lit up at both ends of the street. Dozens of Investigators in white uniforms poured out of armored vehicles, their Quinque weapons in hand, completely blockading the entire street.
"Everyone, don't move!" an Investigator shouted through a loudspeaker. "CCG routine inspection!"
The Ghouls immediately became agitated. Some began to retreat, while others revealed their Kagugan. Yoshimura Kuzen raised a hand, signaling everyone to calm down: "Don't act rashly."
"How lively," a clear, cold voice came from above. Everyone looked up to see Allen, who had, at some unknown point, appeared atop a streetlamp. Rainwater formed a thin mist around him, as if cloaking him in a hazy halo.
"Who are you!" an Investigator vigilantly eyed Allen.
In the rainy night, Allen stood atop a streetlamp, his black trench coat flapping in the wind. Rainwater slid down his silhouette but could not soak his clothes, and his crimson eyes were particularly striking in the darkness, looking down at the agitated crowd below.
"Who I am isn't important," Allen's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. "What's important is that after tonight, the 20th Ward will usher in a new order."
The CCG Investigators were on high alert, raising their Quinque weapons. The leading Special Class Investigator sharply shouted: "No one move rashly!"
Yoshimura Kuzen stood in the rain, his grizzled eyebrows tightly furrowed. He raised a hand, signaling the Ghouls behind him to remain calm: "Don't be so quick to attack."
Just then, the sound of shattering glass suddenly came from the other side of the street. Aogiri Tree members, led by Kirishima Ayato, burst through a window, their crimson Kagugan particularly dazzling in the rainy night.
"Let's all come at once," Allen chuckled softly, lightly descending from the streetlamp and landing steadily in the center of the three factions. Rainwater formed a thin mist around him, as if cloaking him in a hazy halo.
Kirishima Ayato of Aogiri Tree unfurled his Kagune, his crimson Ukaku particularly dazzling in the rainy night: "Arrogant!"
Yoshimura Kuzen still held back the Ghouls behind him, signaling them to remain calm, his grizzled eyebrows tightly furrowed. He looked at Allen, his voice deep: "What exactly do you want to do?"
Allen slowly raised his right hand, and rainwater gathered into a small puddle in his palm: "Test your strength."
Before his words finished, his figure had already vanished from his original spot. The CCG Investigators only saw a blur, and the first few in the front row had already been sent flying backward, crashing heavily into an armored vehicle.
"Fire!"
Gunshots exploded in the rainy night, and specialized Quinque bullets tore through the rain. Allen neither dodged nor avoided them. The bullets suddenly stopped a few centimeters from his body, as if hitting an invisible wall.
"Too slow," he said softly. With a flick of his right hand, the suspended bullets returned along their original path at an even faster speed.
Screams rose one after another, and the Investigators fell to the ground. Allen had deliberately controlled his strength, only incapacitating them without being fatal.
Kirishima Ayato's Ukaku struck like a rainstorm. Allen sidestepped it, his right hand flashing out to grasp his wrist: "Aogiri Tree's little punk, don't be so eager to die."
"Let him go!" Noro's Kagune attacked from the side. Without turning his head, Allen waved his left hand, and a shockwave formed by Psychokinesis repelled Noro several meters.
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