"By the way, Aki, let's ask Ryou to come with us to check out the baseball club tomorrow…"
Fura Taishi suddenly suggested.
Sasada Aki didn't immediately react to his words, as they caught her completely off guard. "Sure… Wait, what? Taishi, are you finally willing to return to baseball?"
"Yeah. Yesterday, I had a serious talk with my dad and cleared everything up," Taishi nodded.
The real reason he had abruptly quit baseball in the past was because his father had placed exceedingly high expectations on him, hoping he would become a professional player and fulfill his father's own unfulfilled dreams from youth.
However, baseball was Japan's most competitive sport, and the pressure had been unbearable for Taishi.
Eventually, he gave up entirely, which led to an increasing rift between him and his father.
But just yesterday, his father had approached him for a heart-to-heart talk and finally relented. Taishi no longer needed to pursue baseball as a profession; he could simply enjoy it as a hobby.
Perhaps it was because of the recent ghoul-related incident that had happened to him, or maybe his father simply didn't want to see him wasting his life in a slump any longer.
Either way, Taishi could now play baseball again without any mental burden.
As she listened to his explanation, Aki made a face as if she both understood and didn't understand at the same time; a look of so-called "wisdom."
But at the very least, she grasped the most important part: Taishi would be playing baseball with them again, and that was something to be happy about.
"That's amazing, Taishi! We can finally play baseball together again!"
20th Ward, Café Anteiku.
"I need to take a trip for a while and until I return, I am leaving Anteiku in your care."
Yoshimura Kuzen, draped in a heavy coat and wearing a hat, was preparing to leave.
"Leave it to me!"
Koma Enji responded confidently.
"Safe travels, Manager," Irimi Kaya said, offering her well-wishes.
With that, Yoshimura departed for the 2nd Ward.
He had already heard about the so-called One-Eyed Owl and had a strong suspicion that it was his daughter, Yoshimura Eto.
The most concerning report was that during the second One-Eyed Owl assault on the 2nd Ward's CCG branch, she had suffered severe injuries.
That was the final push; He could no longer sit idly by.
Yoshimura knew that if V ever discovered Eto's existence, they would hunt her down relentlessly.
To protect his daughter, he resolved to disguise himself as the One-Eyed Owl and attack the CCG's 2nd Ward branch once more.
His goal was naturally to mislead V into believing that he was the one acting out of revenge for his late wife, drawing their attention away from Eto.
2nd Ward, CCG Branch.
Dressed in a black cloak that concealed his face, Yoshimura Kuzen advanced toward the CCG's front entrance.
Then, in an instant, he lunged forward and burst into the building, his body rapidly undergoing a kakuja transformation.
When a ghoul's entire body became enveloped in their kagune, it signified a complete kakuja transformation-a state where multiple kakuhou were activated, allowing them to manipulate their kagune with incredible precision.
Yoshimura Kuzen's body contained approximately six to eight kakuhou.
In contrast, a half-kakuja was a transformation that had not yet fully covered the body, leaving the ghoul unable to exert full control over their abilities.
Despite this, half-kakuja were still significantly more powerful than standard ghouls.
At this moment, Yoshimura deliberately altered the shape of his kakuja, making it identical to the previous One-Eyed Owl that had attacked the CCG; Complete with the distinct one-eyed mask formed by his kagune.
Since Yoshimura Kuzen possessed a ukaku-type kagune, his kakuhou was located near his shoulders.
The advantages of ukaku were their explosive power, high-speed attacks, and wide attack range; It could even allow for temporary flight or aerial gliding.
However, ukaku kagune also had their drawbacks-the primary one being that of low stamina.
At astonishing speed, Yoshimura burst into the CCG branch, completing his kakuja transformation the moment he crashed through the main entrance.
The deafening blare of alarm sirens instantly threw the 2nd Ward's CCG headquarters into chaos.
"It's the Owl! That Owl has shown up again!"
"Report this to Associate Special-Class Investigator Kimura immediately! Damn it!"
"The 2nd Ward doesn't have a Special-Class Investigator stationed here right now!"
"Investigator Arima is still recovering from his injuries. Of all times, why now?!"
"I'll go find Investigator Kimura! The rest of you, request reinforcements from other branches!"
"..."
The sudden reappearance of the One-Eyed Owl sent nearly every investigator in the 2nd Ward headquarters into a frenzy.
At this point, the CCG had no idea that there were actually two Owls.
They were also unaware that a decade later, the name Non-Killing Owl would emerge as a distinct entity.
For now, they believed that the same One-Eyed Owl had returned to wreak havoc once more.
Given the Owl's prior rampages; Each resulting in massive casualties-the sheer terror it instilled was justified.
Like an unstoppable force, Yoshimura tore through the CCG headquarters. Not a single investigator could stand against him.
Most he outright ignored, while those who dared to block his path-those with at least some degree of strength had their arms or legs severed, rendering them incapable of further resistance.
At this point in time, Yoshimura Kuzen's kakuja form was even larger than Eto's.
Even though he was past his prime and no longer at peak condition, his transformed body still stood at an imposing 4-5 meters tall.
To the investigators witnessing this nightmare unfold, he was an unstoppable giant-one whose sheer presence was suffocating.
"Quick! Someone stop the bleeding-my leg! AHHHHH-!"
"This… there's no way we can stop this…"
"An SSS-rated ghoul… This is completely beyond our capabilities, but we have to hold out until reinforcements arrive!"
However, in their panic, none of them noticed a small but crucial detail-this Owl was different from the previous two attacks.
While he showed no hesitation in severing limbs, he had yet to deliver a single fatal blow.
This detail was incredibly subtle and difficult to detect, especially given the overwhelming chaos.
It was easy to attribute the Owl's behavior to mood swings, time constraints, or any number of random factors.
At an unstoppable pace, Yoshimura continued his advance, tearing through the CCG headquarters like a storm.
But just as he was about to reach the deepest section of the facility, a new group of investigators appeared to block his path.
This was the 2nd Ward CCG's elite squad, composed entirely of First-Class and Senior Investigators.
Leading them was Associate Special-Class Investigator Kimura.
"..."
Yoshimura Kuzen said nothing.
Instead, he unleashed his ukaku's signature ability-launching a relentless barrage of razor-sharp kagune blades toward the approaching investigators.
Within mere seconds, half of them had already sustained injuries.
Most investigators lacked quinques with defensive capabilities.
Against a ranged ukaku attack, they had no real means of countering, forced instead to endure the onslaught with their offensive quinques alone.
"We can't afford to take another direct attack from the Owl! We need to engage at close range!"
Associate Special-Class Kimura gave the order.
The investigators immediately complied, charging forward to engage the Owl in melee combat.
Unfortunately for them, Yoshimura Kuzen excelled in close-quarters combat.
His ranged ukaku attacks were already considered merciful by his standards.
While an ukaku was known for its weakness in stamina, that didn't apply to Yoshimura Kuzen.
If his speed and attack power were rated at 100, then his stamina was at least a solid 90.