"Mr. Tatara!" Kirishima Ayato shouted in surprise.
Tatara ignored him, his eyes under the mask fixed on Allen: "No matter who you are, you must pay the price tonight."
Allen's lips curved into a slight smile: "Finally, someone decent has arrived." He raised his hand, and rainwater gathered into a small puddle in his palm. "Let me see the strength of Aogiri Tree's second-in-command."
The battle erupted again, but the outcome was still without suspense. Allen effortlessly parried Tatara's attacks as if toying with a child, each strike leaving Aogiri Tree's second-in-command in a sorry state.
The rain gradually subsided, and the sounds of battle on the street slowly died down. Allen stood amidst the scattered "sandbags," his scarlet eyes particularly striking in the pre-dawn darkness.
"That's enough for today," he said softly, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Yoshimura Kuzen struggled to his feet. "Who exactly are you?"
Allen stopped, turned back, and glanced at the old man: "Just an ordinary passerby." His figure gradually disappeared into the morning mist, leaving only a sentence lingering in the air:
"Become stronger. When I return next time, I hope you can withstand a few more moves."
The rain curtain gradually dispersed, and Ghouls and Investigators lay scattered on the street. Allen's figure had vanished, leaving only a mess and sounds of painful groans.
Yoshimura Kuzen clutched his injured abdomen, struggling to stand. He looked around; the Anteiku Cafe employees were helping each other up. Kirishima Touka's Kagune had retracted, but her face was terribly pale.
"Manager…" Kaneki Ken asked with a trembling voice, "Will that person come again?"
Yoshimura Kuzen was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "I don't know, but we must be prepared."
Not far away, a CCG Special Class Investigator was directing rescue efforts. He looked up in the direction Allen had disappeared, his gaze complex. This suddenly appearing powerhouse was neither a Ghoul nor an Investigator, yet he possessed terrifying strength that could overwhelm everyone.
"Report to headquarters immediately," he whispered to his assistant beside him. "We need to re-evaluate the danger level of Ward 20."
Three days later, CCG Headquarters conference room.
"According to eyewitness accounts, this man calling himself Allen displayed combat power far exceeding that of an SSS-rated Ghoul," Marude Itsuki said, pointing to a blurry image on the projection screen. "Most concerning is that he seems to operate between humans and Ghouls, not siding with either."
Washuu Tsuneyoshi sat at the head of the table, his fingers lightly tapping the desktop: "What is his objective?"
"It's unclear at the moment," Marude Itsuki shook his head. "But from his behavioral patterns, it seems he's testing the strength of various factions."
"Absurd!" Arima Kishou interrupted coldly. "A single person challenging all the Ghouls and Investigators in Ward 20 just to test their strength? Do you really believe his one-sided story?"
"No matter what his objective is," Washuu Tsuneyoshi stood up, "we must find him as soon as possible. Such a person, if he cannot be used by us…"
He did not finish, but everyone present understood the implication.
No sooner had Washuu Tsuneyoshi finished speaking than the conference room door was suddenly pushed open.
"Report! The target has appeared in Central Plaza, Ward 1!" an Investigator rushed in, panting.
The conference room immediately erupted in an uproar. Marude Itsuki shot to his feet: "What did he do?"
"He's just standing there for now," the Investigator wiped sweat from his forehead. "But he's already attracting a crowd."
Arima Kishou picked up the Quinque placed beside him: "I'll go meet him."
"Wait." Washuu Tsuneyoshi raised a hand to stop him. "First, send a negotiator to make contact."
…Central Plaza, Ward 1. The sun shone brightly.
Allen stood by the fountain, his black trench coat swaying gently in the breeze. He watched the gradually gathering crowd with interest, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Sir, please do not act rashly." A middle-aged man in a suit slowly approached. "I am a special envoy from the government and would like to speak with you."
Allen turned to him: "About what?"
The envoy maintained a safe distance: "We have noticed your extraordinary abilities, and the government hopes to cooperate with you."
"Cooperate?" Allen chuckled lightly. "Specifically, what does that entail?"
"We can offer generous compensation," the envoy said cautiously, "as long as you are willing to serve the government."
Allen did not answer immediately but looked around. The edges of the plaza were already filled with plainclothes police, and snipers were positioned in the distance.
"Is that all?" He retracted his gaze. "No other conditions?"
Sweat beaded on the envoy's forehead: "Of course, you will need to abide by some basic rules."
"Like not randomly hitting people?" Allen raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, yes."
Allen suddenly laughed: "Tell your superior, I'm not interested."
The envoy's expression changed: "Please reconsider…"
Before he could finish, Allen's figure had vanished from his original spot. The plaza immediately descended into chaos, and sirens blared.
CCG Headquarters, monitoring room.
"Disappeared?" Marude Itsuki stared at the screen. "How is that possible!"
Technical personnel frantically typed on keyboards: "None of the surveillance cameras captured how he left."
Arima Kishou snorted: "As expected, he's no ordinary person."
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's face was grim: "Issue a Level 1 alert. All districts are to intensify patrols."
Sunlight filtered through the glass curtain wall of the CCG Headquarters building, casting warm golden light on Washuu Tsuneyoshi, yet it could not dispel the chill in the old man's heart.
The blue light of the monitor screen reflected on his sinister face; the still image of the man in the black trench coat's back filled him with an unprecedented sense of threat.
"Issue a Special Class warrant," he suddenly turned, his kimono sleeve sweeping across the desk. "All Special Class Investigators are to cancel their leave, and a Special Operations Team is to be formed."
Marude Itsuki's pen poked an ink stain on his notepad: "Chief Director, but we're not even sure if he's a Ghoul."
"Does it matter?" The Quinque case of CCG's White Reaper, the undefeated Ghoul Investigator—Arima Kishou—clicked softly. "That kind of monster already transcends conventional classification."
"If necessary, I will act."
In the CCG Headquarters conference room, everyone showed agreement with Arima Kishou's statement. Marude Itsuki pushed up his glasses, breaking the silence first: "Indeed, if even Special Class Arima believes he needs to personally intervene, this threat level has already exceeded the conventional assessment range."
Other Special Class Investigators exchanged glances. Iwao Kuroiwa said in a deep voice: "In twenty years, Mr. Arima has never made a wrong judgment. At 19, he was able to single-handedly repel the SSS-rated Ghoul, the One-Eyed Owl. Today, he is CCG's highest combat strength." He caressed his Quinque case. "If even he feels a target needs to be taken seriously…"
Iwao Kuroiwa did not finish, but everyone present understood his unspoken meaning.
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