"Truly a monster capable of defeating the King."
Standing beside the steel gate's crack, Dōdo Ryo spoke solemnly.
"Don't let those creatures climb up." At some point, Takatsuki Kaneki had arrived beside him.
Currently, the Aogiri Tree had taken over Quink Jail from CCG investigators. Although some investigators remained at large, they could no longer alter the current situation.
"I'm a member of the 11th Ward Dragon Organization! Why are you capturing us!" The captured ghouls—who originally believed they'd escaped imprisonment—were being rounded up one by one by Aogiri members and thrown into a room. Enraged beyond measure, they even desired to kill the Aogiri guard watching them.
"Hmph, Dragon Organization? Have you ever heard of it?" Takatsuki sneered disdainfully.
Dōdo shook his head. "Never heard of it. Probably an insignificant minor group."
"That figures."
Crouching on the ground, Takatsuki peered through the gap, observing the bloody spectacle unfolding below the steel gate.
Once all the ghouls gathered on the first prison floor, the Bottle Brothers—guarding outside the room—glanced toward Shinobu Tsukiyama in the corner before pressing the switch. As the heavy door slowly closed, unrest stirred among the imprisoned ghouls.
"F***ing bastards! Once I get out, I'll kill you all!"
"Aogiri Tree!! You damn animals!"
"Goddamn it! Let us out now!"
...
The curses spilling from inside the room slightly annoyed the Bottle Brothers.
Both wore purple cloaks. The older brother, Pint, bore a red 'P' on his white mask. His younger sibling, Plug, wore a white mask marked with a red cross.
They typically remained stationed within the 11th Ward Aogiri headquarters, rarely stepping outside unless for major operations—like this sudden raid on Quink Jail.
"These trash really know how to make noise," Plug complained.
"Why did we lock them in a room?"
"The King's orders—we only need to obey."
Recalling the terrifying smile on Shinobu's face as the gate shut, Pint felt chills crawl down his spine.
"What exactly does the King intend to do—locking Big Madam in a room full of ghouls?" He dared not question the King nor ponder deeply.
Soon, the curses faded, replaced by piercing screams.
Shortly after, rhythmic knocking echoed from inside the sealed room.
The Bottle Brothers exchanged glances before pressing the button to open the door.
Instantly, an overwhelming wave of blood sprayed outward!
Yes—sprayed!
Emerging from the crimson mist, Shinobu Tsukiyama—drenched in blood—stepped forward casually.
"Next room."
Smiling faintly, she turned toward another chamber.
After all, each room held barely dozens of ghouls while Quink Jail contained hundreds of imprisoned ghouls.
Watching from another cell block,Tsukiyama Ayato, horrified by the blood-soaked sight of Shinobu, instinctively took several steps back.
He was Tsukiyama Haise's younger brother. Upon closer inspection, their facial features bore noticeable resemblance.
"Open it," Shinobu licked her lips hungrily.
The intoxicating surge of growing strength thrilled her endlessly. "Devour them all, and perhaps I can ascend to SSS Rank. With such power, I won't remain that bastard's helpless prey anymore. After biding my time, I'll find an opportunity to kill him. Then exterminate the entire Aoyama Clan... Just imagining makes me excited."
At this thought, Shinobu's lips curled into a mad grin.
"O-Of course," Tsukiyama Ayato responded nervously under immense pressure, pressing the release switch.
Meanwhile, shifting focus to Xia Shang's perspective.
After consuming most S-ranked and above ghouls within the jail, mutated cells constituted 60% of Xia Shang's total body cells. This concentration surpassed even combined mights of numerous SSS-Rank ghouls.
However, alongside rapid power growth came unavoidable side effects.
Under certain hormonal influences, his brain chemistry subtly changed—explaining why Half-Haracters easily lost control. Yes, despite possessing Rc cell concentrations surpassing SSS-Rank ghouls, Xia Shang remained a Half-Haracter.
Just like Hideri, achieving Haracter status represented a bottleneck—not every ghoul could evolve merely through consumption.
This depended more upon innate talent or bloodline heritage.
After centuries of ghoul development, only handfuls reached SSS-Rank Haracters.
"This should help." Xia Shang's eyes burned crimson red, overwhelmed by violent impulses. An intense desire to destroy everything around him surged uncontrollably—an utterly unbearable sensation for Xia Shang.
Pop! Xia Shang dug out one of his own brains.
Then crushed it violently!
Five minutes later, much of the bloodshot vanished from his eyes.
Indeed, his previous idea proved correct—the newly regenerated brain contained no hormone traces—at least temporarily.
Yet these hormones originated directly from mutated cells. Over time, they would inevitably return.
Only after Shinobu ascended to SSS Rank—by absorbing her kakugan—could he fully become a Haracter, finally free from hormonal influence.
Regaining partial clarity, Xia Shang replaced his second brain.
Once basic emotional control returned, he recalled the tentacles hunting outside.
Following extensive consumption, only three ghouls remained in the lower prison capable of resisting his tentacles.
"Shinobu Tsukiyama, what an honor," Father Donato Prupura—a clown organization leader appearing elderly yet possessing SS-Rank ghoul strength—greeted the approaching figure.
Father Donato resembled an aged old man outwardly but actually commanded formidable power.
"You were attacked by those tentacles too?" Shinobu Tsukiyama's expression darkened.
"Exactly. I nearly died." Father Donato spread his hands. "Their master must be an incredibly powerful ghoul—one I've never encountered before. Definitely surpasses SSS Rank."
"And you still dare come out?"
Suddenly, a petite girl appeared before Shinobu.
Smiling sweetly, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Roma."
Recognizing the girl instantly, Father Donato identified her as Roma—the founder of the Clown organization, known to CCG as the Mother of Chaos.
"So it's you. When did they imprison you here?" Roma asked playfully, leaning forward with arms behind her back.
"A long time ago."
(End of Chapter)