The Helter Skelter bar was dimly lit, with soft, rhythmic music echoing in the background.
In the bar, Inori lazily stood behind the counter, her long fingers delicately picking up a Beautifully packaged bottle of red wine.
The transparent glass bottle gleamed faintly under the weak light, radiating a subtle chill, as though it had just been taken out of a cold storage unit.
As Inori twisted off the cap, the deep red liquid poured out slowly, resembling a fine red ribbon.
It gently cascaded into a wine glass, turning the once-clear glass into a striking blood-red color, its intense hue almost mesmerizing.
At this moment, Yomo Renji sat in a chair, wearing a tight black tank top. His broad shoulders and muscular frame were subtly visible, with a shallow scar running across his exposed collarbone.
When Yomo Renji caught the familiar scent in the air, his brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.
Inori raised her head, her lips curling into a captivating smile.
Her face, illuminated by the soft lighting, appeared especially alluring, and she slightly flared her nostrils, clearly savoring the scent.
She carefully lifted the filled wine glass and gently handed it to Yomo Renji.
"Renji-kun, come on, try it! This is a rare treasure I went through a lot of trouble to get!" Inori's voice was clear and melodious, like the song of a nightingale.
"This smell... it's from that investigator, isn't it? Inori, where did you get it from?" Yomo Renji asked, not taking the glass, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Inori was momentarily stunned by his question, then quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Eh? Really? Someone collected this? Then swapped it with me..." After speaking, Inori closed her wine-red eyes and took a small sip from her own glass.
She savored the taste for a moment before continuing, "There are quite a few people, District 20, District 7, District 14... But the amounts are always small, so I've only managed to gather two bottles so far."
Yomo Renji glanced at the glass filled with the scarlet liquid, his thoughts seeming to wander.
"Hello! What's this? You two are sneaking drinks while I'm not around?" A voice suddenly called out. Uta, holding a black box, walked in and sniffed the air playfully.
Yomo Renji's throat involuntarily twitched, but the temptation was too much to resist. His hand slowly reached for the wine glass.
"The mask is fixed, but actually, it'd be better to just make a whole new one." Uta said, sitting beside Yomo Renji and placing the box on the table.
Inside the box, the crow mask lay perfectly intact.
"What? I specifically pulled out my precious collection just for the two of you!" Inori laughed loudly, pouring another glass of red wine for Uta.
Yomo Renji tucked the mask away and then drank the wine in his glass in one go.
"That's good. Thanks." After giving a faint nod to Uta, Yomo Renji turned his gaze to Inori, who was smiling brightly, and gave her a warning.
"Inori, be careful. That guy is probably using his own blood as bait. With his strength, ordinary ghouls won't be able to hurt him."
Inori nodded with a mischievous smile, "Yes, yes, Renji-kun, you're always so reliable!"
Uta glanced at the faint scar on Yomo Renji's collarbone with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"I'm curious... which investigator could injure you?"
For ghouls, scars were not a big issue. Back then, Yomo Renji had treated the wound too roughly, which left a scar.
It would be easy to get rid of it, just peel off the skin and let it heal again, but Yomo Renji didn't care about such things. He often wore high-collared coats, so it wasn't visible anyway.
"This time, we might run into him again. Let's go." Yomo Renji said, a complicated expression crossing his face. He stood up, grabbed the windbreaker from the bar counter, and turned to leave.
The CCG was preparing for a major action. The Aogiri Tree extermination battle was about to begin, and as an investigator, Uesugi Ryu would likely participate.
Meanwhile, Anteiku's bartender was heading to rescue Kaneki, and the chances of them crossing paths were high.
Yomo Renji had mixed feelings about Uesugi Ryu's stance and attitude; he just hoped they wouldn't have to fight again.
Inori simply propped her cheek up with one hand, raised her wine glass, and clinked it lightly with Uta's. They exchanged a knowing smile, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
As for their safety, Inori wasn't concerned, as that person would also step in when necessary.
...
23rd District, Cochlea.
The Mediterranean long-haired, blonde Warden Misaka sat in Cochlea's command center, looking thoroughly displeased.
It wasn't hard to understand why, Aura Kiyoko was in charge of the overall command, and despite being the warden, Misaka didn't even hold the position of deputy commander.
Meanwhile, in Cochlea's temporary command room on the second floor, everyone was dressed in tactical uniforms and waiting, the tense atmosphere hanging thick everywhere.
Just then, Marude Itsuki's figure appeared on the large screen at the front.
"After our investigation and analysis, the defense strength of Aogiri Tree's stronghold in Ward 11 is much weaker than we originally anticipated."
"According to the information we have, there are only two S-class ghouls here, and only one of the three main leaders of Aogiri Tree has shown up."
After saying this, Marude Itsuki's previously tense face revealed a barely perceptible expression of relief.
He continued, "In that case, it confirms that the earlier predictions made by Uesugi Ryu were completely accurate."
"If that's the case, everyone in Cochlea needs to be on full alert! We must not let our guard down!" Marude Itsuki's command was firm, and his tone left no room for doubt.
Upon hearing Marude Itsuki's instructions, Aura Kiyoko, who had been on edge, finally relaxed slightly.
She took a deep breath and was just about to assign specific battle tasks when, suddenly, Marude Itsuki seemed to sense something and quickly reached for the earpiece in his ear.
The next moment, a grave and slightly urgent voice came through the earpiece:
"Sir, bad news! The Owl has appeared!"
This unexpected news was like a thunderclap, instantly causing Marude Itsuki's face to darken. His mouth twitched slightly, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Is it a double trap? The Owl attacks the CCG's elite, while Aogiri Tree's leaders launch an assault on Cochlea. One move weakens the enemy's forces while strengthening their own. Are these still ghouls?!"
Marude Itsuki broke into a cold sweat, his back felt chilled. He didn't have time to process the shock before quickly making decisions regarding the battle allocation, but he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"The Owl is here!"
Hearing this, everyone's gaze turned to Uesugi Ryu. They hadn't expected his prediction to be right, though it seemed his position was off.
"You got the location wrong, but the other leaders of Aogiri Tree will likely attack Cochlea. Uesugi Ryu, don't blame yourself too much."
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Aura Kiyoko glanced at Uesugi Ryu, who had been silent, and tried to comfort him.
At that moment, Uesugi Ryu, calm and unruffled, stretched and looked up at the ceiling with a hint of amusement on his face. He spoke in a leisurely tone:
"Don't worry, everyone. Let the ghouls play around for a bit."