Dimensional Kaguya Ōtsutsuki

"The CCG headquarters has declared all of the 20th Ward a special alert zone and will be enforcing a complete lockdown. Citizens are advised to remain indoors and avoid going outside."

Touka Kirishima glanced back at the sleeping Hinami in bed, then turned around and headed toward the door. As she opened it, she was confronted by a tall, white-haired man—Renji Yomo.

"Where are you going?" Yomo asked calmly.

"To Anteiku," Touka replied, her head lowered.

"It's over," Yomo stated.

"Over?" Touka's beautiful eyes widened as she bit her lip, her voice trembling. "Are we just going to abandon them?"

Yomo's face remained expressionless, his silence heavy and unyielding.

"You always talk about how Anteiku's philosophy is mutual support," Touka said, her voice breaking as her eyes reddened. "What about the manager? What about Mr. Koma? Miss Irimi? What's going to happen to them?"

After a long silence, Yomo finally said, "They always instinctively sought a way to make amends. They took countless lives and committed numerous sins. But after meeting Mr. Yoshimura, they finally began to understand the significance of their actions. However, even if they sought redemption, their sins could never be erased. Therefore, they must be punished."

"Punished?" Touka murmured.

"This battle is their punishment," Yomo explained. "For them, and for their comrades."

"If that's the case, then it applies to me too. I've taken countless lives on my path, not just for food but even out of sheer spite," Touka said, biting her lip. "Doesn't that mean I deserve punishment too?"

After another pause, Yomo finally said, "Even if you go now, it's already too late."

Touka didn't respond. She sidestepped Yomo and started running toward Anteiku. Her pace quickened, her footsteps pounding louder as she broke into a sprint.

...

"I wish I could experience school too," Irimi said wistfully, her gentle voice filled with longing.

"You're saying my tie looks like a sewer? That's too much, Touka," Koma complained, tugging at his tie and looking at her with mock indignation.

"Touka," the manager called softly, turning toward her with his kind, warm gaze.

...

"Why?" Touka's voice cracked as she ran. "Why does everyone have to leave me? All those cherished memories… all of them, gone."

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. "I won't accept this. I don't want to lose anyone else! If there's a god, any god, please… bring them back to me. I'll do anything—anything!"

Suddenly, Touka's footsteps faltered, and she stopped in her tracks. A thought struck her, her eyes widening.

"As long as you've made up your mind, you can join us anytime," a voice like heavenly laughter echoed in her memory. "Whenever you wish, I'll be here at twilight."

"Of course," Touka whispered, her heart surging with a wild hope. She turned sharply and began running in the opposite direction, her resolve unshaken.

"If it's her—she can do it. She'll definitely be able to."

When she arrived at the agreed-upon park, Touka's face froze at the desolate and empty surroundings. Her previously excited steps slowed involuntarily as a thought crossed her mind, and her pupils contracted sharply.

She had forgotten a critical detail: the agreed time was at twilight, but now it wasn't twilight—it was the dark of night.

Would she still be here? Touka thought anxiously.

But now wasn't the time to waste deliberating. Clenching her teeth, she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted loudly, "Are you here? Hello? Are you there?"

Her voice shattered the silence of the park, echoing far and wide, startling a flock of birds from the trees. Yet, no response came.

"Are you here? I've come!" Touka shouted, running through the park with urgency.

But the surroundings remained eerily quiet, oppressively so. The only sound was the rustling of dried leaves carried by the autumn wind.

"I came as promised! I want to join Akatsuki!" she called out stubbornly. "Are you still here?"

No matter how many times she shouted, even as her voice grew hoarse and raw, she received no reply. The park remained steeped in an unsettling silence.

Was it truly hopeless?

Touka collapsed to the ground, her eyes vacant. Biting her lip so hard it bled, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth—a salty, bitter reminder of her despair.

If only she had joined earlier. If she had agreed before, Anteiku would have been under their protection. This catastrophe wouldn't have happened, and everyone wouldn't be caught in this desperate situation. But now, if this continued, everyone would surely… surely die.

"Marude Special Class, the third squad has neutralized the Black Doberman," a man in a white trench coat said as he turned off his radio. Walking over, he cast a cold glance down at the injured woman sprawled on the ground, speaking in a gravelly voice. "I can't tell you how long I've waited for this day—always waiting for this very moment."

The man in the white cloak was Hachikawa Tadashi, and the woman lying on the ground was Kaya Irimi.

Irimi lay there, grievously wounded, her breath faint and shallow. Her face was pallid from blood loss, and her body was covered in deep, bone-revealing wounds, each one shocking in its severity. The ground beneath her was soaked in crimson blood.

Yet, her face bore no expression of pain. Instead, a faint, relieved smile graced her lips.

"If I had known, I'd have had one last cup of coffee," she murmured.

"All this time, I've never truly believed my choices were right," Irimi continued, her voice weak but steady. "But whether right or wrong, it probably doesn't matter much to me. What did matter was that one warm smile—it made me feel human emotions, human sensations. For the first time, I felt the meaning of life. I think… it wasn't so bad. It's just a shame… that I probably won't see that girl again."

The corners of Irimi's lips curved slightly, and her gaze began to lose focus as her strength rapidly ebbed away. In her fading vision, she seemed to see that black-haired girl once more, her radiant smile lighting up the world.

At the same time, Hachikawa stepped forward. He raised his sharp Quinque blade, aiming it squarely at her neck.

...

"Is it really hopeless?" Touka collapsed to the ground, her gaze vacant as she bit her lip and murmured softly, "Everyone…"

"Hey, making such a ruckus in the middle of the night, do you want anyone to sleep? Don't you have school tomorrow?"

A familiar voice suddenly rang out behind her, like a pebble dropped into a still lake, breaking the silence of the night and rippling through the air.

Touka's body jolted. She quickly turned her head, her pupils shrinking at what she saw.

Standing before her was a girl dressed in a black and red long dress, wearing a fox mask. Her silver-white hair swayed gently in the wind, and from Touka's angle, she could see the girl's lips curling into a faint, ephemeral smile beneath the mask.

"Tell me, are you in need of special services?"

...

Elsewhere, on the battlefield at the 20th Ward overpass.

The hulking Owl was locked in an intense battle with the investigators of the CCG. The massive strikes of its kagune spear clashed with Quinques, sending dazzling sparks flying and reverberating with deafening clashes. The fight had reached its peak, the air itself heavy with the heat of combat.

"Special Class Arima, do you need reinforcements?" A young investigator ran up, panting heavily. "The Owl is far stronger than anticipated. To prevent any mishaps, shouldn't we consider—"

"No need," Arima Kishou replied coldly. "It's already over."

"Over?" The young investigator blinked in confusion, unsure of what his superior meant by "over."

"With two Special Class investigators present, along with the rookie, it's sufficient." Arima's icy gaze remained fixed on the battlefield as he turned and added, "This area doesn't need you anymore. Also, inform Special Class Marude to concentrate on eliminating scattered ghouls. Ensure there are no surviving ghouls to complicate things later."

"Yes, sir!" The young investigator saluted sharply.

"One more thing," Arima said just as the investigator was about to leave. His gaze narrowed slightly. "What's the current status of the fifth squad?"

"The fifth squad? You mean Liuli's team?" The young investigator paused, quickly answering, "According to the latest intel, they're at the restaurant, engaged in battle with the ghouls. However, it appears there are no notable casualties so far."

"I see," Arima murmured, his eyes narrowing.

"Should we dispatch reinforcements?" the young investigator asked hesitantly.

"No," Arima said, shaking his head. "That will be all. You can go now."

"Understood."

As the investigator hurried off, Arima turned back, a barely perceptible frown crossing his face.

Could his hypothesis have been wrong?

...

"Ten years. My mentor and my fellow investigators—everyone—died at your hands. Ten years I've waited. I've waited far too long for this day," Hachikawa Tadashi snarled as he looked down at Kaya Irimi, his voice icy. "Rest assured, I'll skin and dismember you, and craft you into the finest Quinque."

"I'll be waiting for you in hell." Blood trickled from Irimi's lips as she gave a faint, mocking smile, her pupils gradually losing focus.

If possible, I would've liked to taste her coffee one more time. Seems like I won't have the chance now… A twinge of regret flickered in her heart.

"Apologies, but as a ghoul, your only worth lies in your body. Even if you beg for forgiveness, it's far too late. This is the end—for you and all your kind!" Hachikawa raised his massive Quinque blade high, then swung it down mercilessly toward her neck.

"Do you, a human, truly wish to go to hell so badly?"

A melodious voice suddenly rang out.

Hachikawa Tadashi's pupils shrank sharply. Without any warning, a silver-haired girl wearing a fox mask appeared in front of him.

What shocked him even more was that she effortlessly held his Quinque between two fingers. No matter how much force he exerted, the Quinque remained completely immovable in her grip.

"You still haven't answered my question. Do you truly wish to go to hell so badly?" Kaguya's lips curled into a faint smile as she spoke.

Looking at the red-striped, white fox mask before him, Hachikawa seemed to realize something. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stammered, "Could it be... are you..."

If his guess was correct, the silver-haired girl with the fox mask before him was none other than the member of "Akatsuki" — the being known to have surpassed even SSS-class, the strongest ghoul in the world.

"If I recall correctly, I once told all of you," Kaguya said coldly, "this place is my territory. To act so recklessly on my turf... you truly have no sense of self-preservation."

Suddenly, two investigators leapt out from behind Kaguya, soaring high and swinging their Quinques like lightning, aiming straight for her unguarded back.

"Ha!"

"Take this!"

"So foolish," Kaguya sneered. Her delicate hand raised slightly, her gaze sharpening.

"Shinra Tensei."

Boom!

A thunderous explosion echoed through the air. The two airborne investigators were instantly hurled backward as if struck by a speeding train. Their chests caved in, blood spurting from their mouths and noses as their bodies were flung helplessly across the battlefield. With a deafening crash, they slammed into a distant wall.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Debris flew in all directions amidst a cloud of rolling dust.

Clang! Clang!

The fractured Quinques, riddled with cracks, fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.

"So powerful..."

Hachikawa's pupils constricted. With just a casual motion, she had sent two upper-level investigators flying and destroyed their hardened Quinques with ease.

He had never witnessed such overwhelming power from a ghoul before. Even the strongest adversaries he had faced were nothing compared to this. Despair welled up in his heart as he realized how insignificant his strength was in the face of such an overwhelming force.

Ten years. He had waited and suffered for ten long years, all for the sake of avenging his fallen comrades. Yet just as he was about to achieve his goal, such an insurmountable opponent appeared before him.

Was this truly the end?

Clenching his teeth, Hachikawa suddenly spun around and began sprinting madly toward Kaya Irimi's direction.

"I will have my revenge! No one can stop me!"

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