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Moonlight cast a dim silhouette on the ground, and the cawing of crows echoed over the silent city.
After the last guest left, He Xi Qian Yu let out a soft sigh and hung the "Closed" sign on the door. A whole afternoon of high-intensity work had almost drained all his strength.
Just as he turned around, the wind chimes suddenly rang.
He looked in the direction of the sound—a tall, rugged-looking man pushed open the door, followed by three people wearing red, blue, and purple clothes, gas masks, and completely wrapped up. They looked exactly like a boss with his underlings.
The four walked straight up to him. The tall man in the lead spoke in a low voice: "Is the manager here?"
"Sorry, we're closed," He Xi Qian Yu replied lazily, "Please come back tomorrow if you have business."
"I asked if the manager is here!" The man suddenly grabbed He Xi Qian Yu's collar with a fierce grip, "Answer me!"
Hmm? Looking for trouble?
A hint of surprise flashed in He Xi Qian Yu's heart. Having worked at Antique for so long, this was the first time he had seen a Ghoul daring to cause trouble at their doorstep.
"Even Kamishiro Rize doesn't dare to act wild at Antique," a cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth, "You're even more formidable than Kamishiro Rize."
The Slaughter within him was already stirring, and several scarlet tentacles silently extended from behind him. Just as he was poised to strike, the tall man in front of him suddenly became agitated, as if a switch had been flicked.
"Miss Rize!" Shuichi Banjou suddenly let go, his tone urgent, "You know Miss Rize? Where is she?!"
"Hm?" He Xi Qian Yu was startled, and the tentacles behind him quietly retracted, "Why are you looking for her?"
"I have something very important to tell Miss Rize!" The ferocity on Shuichi Banjou's face was completely gone, replaced only by pleading, "Please, tell me her whereabouts!"
He Xi Qian Yu looked at him, and the words "Your beloved Miss Rize has already merged with another man" swirled on his tongue, but he swallowed them back in the end.
"She stayed here for a while," He Xi Qian Yu chose his words carefully, "Because her hunting was too aggressive, it attracted the attention of the Search Officer. To avoid them, she left the Twenty Ward not long ago."
Upon hearing this, Shuichi Banjou's tense shoulders seemed to relax for a moment.
"You're Kamishiro Rize's suitor, aren't you?" A playful smile spread across He Xi Qian Yu's lips, and he suddenly lowered his voice, "Let me tell you a secret… She has a boyfriend, you know~"
"What?!!" Shuichi Banjou's startled shout almost tore off the roof.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairs. Kaneki Ken's figure appeared at the stairwell, apparently drawn by the commotion downstairs.
"Qianyu-ge…?" Kaneki Ken asked confusedly, "What happened?"
He Xi Qian Yu looked at him, the mischievous smile on his lips deepening. He gestured to Shuichi Banjou with his chin, then pointed at Kaneki Ken: "See, it's him."
Kaneki Ken, who was at a loss, instantly felt a strong hostility lock onto him. He turned his head, meeting Shuichi Banjou's eyes burning with rage.
...
"Anyway, I'm really not Miss Rize's boyfriend."
After Kaneki Ken spent almost half an hour, explaining his relationship with Kamishiro Rize to Shuichi Banjou until he was hoarse, both their gazes simultaneously turned to He Xi Qian Yu, who merely shrugged indifferently.
"No matter what," Shuichi Banjou turned to Kaneki Ken, his expression unusually serious, "If you see Miss Rize, please be sure to tell her—"
"Run away quickly."
"Why?" Kaneki Ken was puzzled.
"Months ago, a Ghoul organization called Bronze Tree attacked the 11th Ward…"
...
Seeing Shuichi Banjou about to launch into a long speech, He Xi Qian Yu let out a long yawn, turned, and walked towards the back kitchen, intending to make himself a cup of coffee to perk up.
Ding-a-ling—
The wind chimes at the door rang again.
"…N-no, I'm sorry…" Kaneki Ken's voice held a hint of nervousness, "We're already closed."
"It's fine, after all…" A rough voice sounded, "I didn't come here for coffee."
Immediately after—
Boom!!!
With a deafening roar, the entire coffee shop door was violently ripped from its frame and flung aside like a rag.
"Ah~ Gecko, you're really crude~" Another nauseatingly sticky voice followed.
"Gecko… Nico, why would you…" Shuichi Banjou looked at the two sudden intruders, his face filled with shock.
"Wan Zhang-kun is indeed Ayato's subordinate," Gecko pulled a chilling smile across his face, his gaze sweeping over the interior of the shop, "Following you, it was indeed very rewarding."
"…What a disgusting smell," Gecko sniffed the air forcefully, then his greedy eyes locked onto Kaneki Ken, his massive body slowly approaching with a sense of oppression, "Since that woman isn't here…" He licked his lips, his grotesque smile widening, "Then I'll just take you back to report…"
Kaneki Ken instinctively wanted to retreat and dodge, but Gecko was faster. A giant hand, like an iron clamp, suddenly clamped his throat, lifting him completely off the ground. Suffocation and intense pain instantly struck, and Kaneki Ken struggled futilely.
...
He Xi Qian Yu walked back into the hall from the back kitchen, holding a coffee cup, and instantly froze when he looked up.
Who tore down the coffee shop door?
At the entrance, Gecko's massive figure turned at the sound, his gaze meeting He Xi Qian Yu's exactly.
Eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Gecko's heart suddenly trembled, as if the wounds that had long healed were tearing open again beneath his skin, sending waves of phantom pain. His right hand, which was gripping Kaneki Ken's neck, released him as if it had been electrocuted.
With a muffled "thud," Kaneki Ken fell heavily to the ground, clutching his throat and coughing violently.
"So, it's Gecko-sama who honors us with his presence," He Xi Qian Yu forced a smile devoid of warmth, his tone exaggeratedly respectful, "I wonder what my colleague did wrong to incur your wrath?"
Before he finished speaking, two scarlet tentacles, like venomous snakes, silently extended from behind him, precisely wrapping around Kaneki Ken's waist and chest, pulling him steadily behind him.
"Gecko…"
Nico, standing nearby, drew out his words, looking at Gecko's slightly trembling body, his sticky voice unclear whether it was encouragement or fanning the flames.
Nico's words were like a spark, instantly igniting the powder keg of humiliation and fear that had accumulated within Gecko.
"You—!!!" Gecko stared at He Xi Qian Yu, the humiliation transforming into towering rage that surged into his heart, instantly drowning out the lingering trace of fear. His eyes abruptly turned a wild, crimson red.
"Roar—!"
Accompanied by an inhuman roar, Gecko's waist clothing instantly burst, and two thick, hideous Kou-kaku, shimmering with a purple glow, like ferocious beasts unleashed, slammed towards He Xi Qian Yu with an ear-splitting whoosh.
[…Overestimating yourself…].
The moment the words fell—
Pfft! Crack!
The teeth-grinding sound of flesh and bone twisting suddenly erupted, and He Xi Qian Yu's figure rapidly swelled and deformed. A colossal monster, composed of countless scarlet tentacles and twisted limbs, once again descended before Gecko, radiating a suffocatingly terrifying pressure.
That huge, grotesque claw, like swatting a fly, casually swung out and precisely caught the two attacking purple Kou-kaku.
"Snap!"
A heart-stopping shattering sound exploded, and Gecko's proud Kagune, like fragile glass beneath the Slaughter's giant claw, shattered in response.
"Ahhh—!!! I'm going to… tear you to shreds!!" Gecko let out a roar of extreme fury. The broken Kou-kaku instantly erupted with an eerie deep red light, regenerating at a visible speed, becoming even thicker and more grotesque than before.
At the same time, the Kagune, emitting an ominous red glow, rapidly spread like a living thing, covering his head and entire right arm. His muscles bulged and swelled, exuding an even more violent and ferocious aura.