Rumors of a violent ghoul organization called Aogiri Tree start spreading through the wards. Anteiku’s regulars grow uneasy. Kaneki senses that the fragile balance of his life is about to be shattered once more. A sense of dread hangs over this chapter from the very first page.
Unable to watch Anteiku suffer for his sake any longer, Kaneki makes a painful choice. He walks away from the coffee shop and the people who saved him, believing his presence only brings them danger. Nobody can talk him out of it. His farewell to Anteiku is one of the saddest moments in the series…
Kaneki wakes in CCG custody, a prisoner of the people who hunt his kind. Arima watches him with unreadable eyes. What the CCG plans for the one eyed ghoul, nobody will say, but it cannot be anything good. Kaneki as a prisoner raises so many questions about what comes next.
The raid begins. CCG forces surround Anteiku in overwhelming numbers, led by seasoned investigators. Inside, the ghouls prepare to sell their lives dearly. What was once a place of warmth is now a fortress under siege. The raid itself is drawn with a ferocity that is hard to look away from.
The battle between Touka and the investigators reaches a fever pitch. Mado fights with sadistic glee while Amon watches in growing horror. Hinami, small and terrified, refuses to stay hidden while the people she loves are in danger. Every emotional beat in this chapter lands exactly where it should.
Touka’s sorrow turns to rage, and she begins hunting the investigators on her own. Kaneki fears she will get herself killed. The line between the hunters and the hunted is blurring, and Anteiku is caught right in the middle. Touka’s anger is understandable, and this chapter makes you feel every bit of it.
The CCG’s last line of defense crumbles. Investigators fall back, overwhelmed. In the heart of the prison, Kaneki finally confronts Eto, and the truth about her plans comes spilling out. Eto’s true goal being revealed reframes the entire conflict.