Chapter 23: The Song of Darkness
To assess the extent of the problem, Kenzo's first action was to withdraw the lower-ranking B-tier guards. From this point on, with the elevated threat alert, only A-tier Ghoul groups would be on guard, and in most places, they would be under the surveillance of the organization's cameras.
Of course, to accomplish many of these things, they would need to be cautious and inform the Anteiku group about what had happened and what could happen.
"How is Rize?" Kenzo, after finishing some important matters that were meant to be considered only by him, directed a question to Viper.
"She's fine, she eats a lot but she's fine; the only things she does are read, drink coffee, and go back to her room to sleep." Viper listed the standout aspects of that woman and told Kenzo that there was nothing out of the ordinary that he should be concerned about.
At least in that regard, Kenzo didn't have any problems. While he wanted to talk to her about the reason the V organization was pursuing her, he believed it would be better to keep a low profile. For now, he shouldn't press the issue too much, as she might manipulate the information due to the importance he was giving to something that possibly shouldn't matter much to her.
"Oh, so she's using us until she fully recovers from her injuries and her captors lose track of her once again. Given that, you should keep security discreet. I want to see what she does in the coming days before deciding to visit her." Kenzo walked forward without looking back.
During that time, Viper simply nodded without speaking unnecessary words. They walked without any problems through the hallways, and besides the large rooms, they met Number One, who had gone to get Kenzo's chocolates.
"Is everything ready?" Kenzo asked as he continued walking.
Number One nodded and said, "Everything is in order, Crow Master. The prisoners will be placed under closed arrest, and for now, they won't interact with any of them."
"Perfect, take me home, and let's get this over with."
...
By late evening, today, for reasons Kenzo could sense, the café closed early.
As always, Kenzo didn't need to give any explanation for his whereabouts, and Touka had stopped asking much less frequently, so she just returned to her room.
Touka had learned from the internet about a scandal at the CCG facilities, but she didn't pay much attention to it because it wasn't a Ghoul attack.
After Kenzo poured himself a self-made coffee with milk, he reached the rooftop balcony. Too many things had happened recently, and the figure of the V organization had been emerging slowly.
"After all these years, you still haven't let go of the hatred in your heart, boy!" At that moment, Manager Yoshimura appeared behind Kenzo.
"Instead of hating you, Father, I'd rather hate that organization that has caused you so much harm. I suppose I must eliminate them and then save my sister, who is in a very bad condition?" Kenzo took a sip of his coffee, which had completely lost its sweet and fresh flavor.
"The V organization is much larger than you imagined and cannot be eliminated by the hatred of a single person. Even the peaceful Three-Eyed Crow organization will not get involved in dirty waters just for your desire for revenge. You must understand this now and stop me in time before you lose something valuable!" Kuzen Yoshimura's voice was soft, devoid of any emotion reflecting the tone of his words.
After saying that, he took out a cigarette and lit it, which surprised Kenzo a bit.
"I don't know what you're looking for after keeping yourself in the dark for so long, but you shouldn't carry such heavy burdens alone. What you should be responsible for is living a normal life. You are the only one, besides your sister, with that gift, so make the most of it."
"The organization I belong to knows that I am your son. They respect the fact that you kept District 20 safe, but they also know that the security you maintained was as fragile as paper. That's why the Three-Eyed Crow organization was formed. They don't have to go looking for corpses at night, possibly finding nothing. They use more sophisticated methods to feed thousands of Ghouls living in constant fear of not being able to survive the CCG's relentless hunting."
Kenzo cast a compassionate glance at his father and said without any pain, "You're not as strong as you used to be, Father. You've missed the opportunity to truly make a difference, so let us create a real basis for negotiation with the humans."
"I'm tired of killing... As you say, it's not the same as when I was young. You are different from your sister, and you are aware of my daily pain, unable to protect your mother back then." Kuzen Yoshimura knew that this time it was his son's turn to embark on a bloody path against the V organization, and he couldn't prevent it, but at least he wouldn't do it alone, and he wasn't foolish.
"I'm different from you... In fact, I'm different from my sister and from any Ghoul with aspirations to influence. I'll take it upon myself to show all the Ghouls the true path they should follow if they don't want to perish in the impending great war." Kenzo had stopped feeling intense hatred towards his father a long time ago; now, he just let it pass.
"First, we will take District 14, establish an unbreakable dominion as you allowed to happen in this place, and a new safe zone will be created for all those who wish to live in silence without bothering people. That is the organization's Plan A. But if the humans attack us, Plan B will be initiated, and that would only be in an extreme case."
Kuzen Yoshimura looked at his son and noticed many changes in his gaze. He had allowed the influence of the Three-Eyed Crow organization to grow, as they swore they would bring about a much more sustainable peace in this place, so he accepted his son's involvement. There wasn't much he wanted to say to his son, simply to make sure he didn't make a mistake and to stay strong to help the weaker ones. Although his goal was very different and more ambitious, perhaps Kenzo was the key to allow both worlds to coexist in one without being disturbed.
"Maybe you can do it... The world your mother wishes for is one where we are not treated as monsters, and we don't attack the innocent. At least, you took the best of us in our last years..."
Tap-tap!
At this moment, they heard footsteps behind Kenzo.
"Hmm?"
Father and son looked back at the same time.
"Ahem, he's here, Manager!"
Touka appeared behind them with a box full of things. She had come to find Kenzo but hadn't expected the manager to be here.
"Oh, Touka, you haven't slept yet!" Manager Yoshimura chuckled softly.
"I just came to bring Kenzo some food that my friend sent me..." Touka lifted the box filled with sweets and many other items in her hands.
Upon hearing this, the store manager simply nodded.
"Here, you have it. Don't just eat the first thing you find and run off..." Touka blushed slightly and handed the box of sweets to Kenzo.
"Thank you, my dear Touka!" Kenzo took it without being pretentious.
In this café, most of the customers are Ghouls, so they only eat human flesh, and regular food doesn't exist. Although Kenzo consumes both types of meals, his diet is balanced to keep him strong.
Although the store manager sometimes prepares breakfast, Kenzo often eats quickly because the wall with his father still existed. It was something he couldn't avoid, and even though he always showed respect, it was now difficult to maintain a father-son relationship.
Kenzo spent the first thirteen years of his life in the home of his adoptive father, so being so close to a man who didn't exist back then felt strange. Moreover, everything he knew made it impossible to hide what he felt.
Kenzo picked up some candies at random and started eating them.
"Why don't we open a restaurant in the future? The special food we prepare would become very famous among customers." Kenzo, holding an onigiri in his hand, proposed something that seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Hey, are you joking? How is that even possible!" Upon hearing this, Touka laughed and patted Kenzo.
"That can also be considered!" Store manager Yoshimura said with a smile at that moment.
"In reality, it's impossible. I'm the only one with taste buds in this house... All that coffee has seared their tongues." Kenzo considered it more clearly.
The store manager didn't speak; he just smiled without saying a word, then dropped the cigarette butt he was holding to the ground and extinguished it.
"Uh... store manager... when did you start smoking?" Touka only now realized that Kuzen Yoshimura was smoking.
"Oh, I just started today, but smoking is bad for my health. I'll try to smoke as little as possible!" Manager Yoshimura replied.
"Yes, it's bad for the body, though I doubt we'd have a problem... But it's bad for the café's image; you shouldn't pick up those bad influences from others." Touka said, giving Kenzo a stern look.
"Well, I'll try!" Store manager Yoshimura smiled and nodded.
"I know where you're going with this; it won't happen, hahaha..." Kenzo smiled faintly.
"Why are you laughing!" Unsatisfied, Touka gave Kenzo a cold look.
"Only those who can smoke will, those who no longer have lungs can't, and with a regeneration in our immune system, something like that wouldn't affect us in the least." Kenzo couldn't help but tease Touka.
Kuzen Yoshimura then thought, "So, she knows. It seems their relationship has escalated a lot in the last few months..."
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