Dark crimson wings tore through the night sky as Amano Hiro, like a hunting night owl, swept his sharp gaze over the devastated battlefield below.
The smoke had already dispersed, leaving only corpses strewn everywhere in disarray.
His perception spread out like an invisible web, and soon it caught that familiar presence carrying the sweet scent of blood, and a trace... of pleasure in the midst of play.
...
Rize's rinkaku were like four purple bolts of lightning, weaving a net of death through the narrow alley.
She hummed a light tune, her figure bouncing and shifting between the walls. Each graceful spin was accompanied by the dull sound of an investigator's throat being torn open.
Blood splattered across her pale cheeks, adding a touch of bewitching beauty.
"How... boring." She landed lightly beneath a crooked streetlamp,
looking at the few remaining young investigators below who stood back to back, trembling. "Not even one who can let me enjoy myself?"
Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, a shadow quietly fell over her.
"Had your fun?"
Amano Hiro folded his wings and landed silently atop the lamppost behind her, his body as light as a feather.
His hands remained in his pockets as he looked down at Rize below, a faint trace of indulgence in his eyes.
Hearing his voice, the red in Rize's eyes faded slightly as she turned back in delight. "Hiro!"
Like a swallow returning to its nest, she leapt up lightly and landed beside him, naturally hooking her arm around his and rubbing her bloodstained cheek against his shoulder.
"Finished on your side? How was that White Reaper?"
"Not bad. He has some skill." Amano Hiro's tone was flat, as if commenting on an unimportant dish.
His gaze swept over the investigators in the alley who were on the verge of collapse. "These small fry were worth this much of your time?"
"I was bored..." Rize pouted.
"Eto needs to deal with the 'gift' over there. It is time to wrap things up here as well."
He wrapped an arm around Rize's waist. "Let's go back first."
The remaining investigators below stared dumbfounded as the terrifying dark crimson figure took the purple-haired female demon with him,
spreading their wings and leisurely disappearing between the buildings like a couple tired from shopping, as if the massacre just now had only been an illusion.
A surviving young investigator collapsed weakly onto the ground. The Quinque in his hand clattered down, and a wet warmth spread through his crotch.
A single thought rose in all of their minds. They would resign after returning. This time, they had truly picked up their lives.
In the night sky, Amano Hiro held Rize as they circled half a turn leisurely. His sharp gaze locked onto three familiar figures in a remote alley below.
His wings drew in slightly, and his figure shot down like a dark crimson bolt of lightning with a "whoosh," landing precisely in front of Manager Yoshimura and the other two, the pressure of the wind lifting the corners of their clothes.
When Manager Yoshimura saw who it was, his tense expression finally relaxed. He covered his still faintly aching chest,
his voice carrying undisguised exhaustion. "Hiro, it is good that you are safe."
"We are unharmed." Amano Hiro's gaze swept over the multiple tears in the manager's clothes and the wounds that had yet to fully heal.
"Manager-san, your injuries are not light. The priority is to rendezvous with Yomo-san and the others,
find a safe place to recuperate. As for the coffee shop... we can find a new location and reopen in the future."
Manager Yoshimura nodded slightly, a trace of helplessness appearing on his aged face. "For now... that is the only option."
"Alright, we will take our leave first." Amano Hiro gave a nod, then tightened his arm around Rize. "Manager, please take care as well."
Before his words had fully fallen, the dark crimson wings spread once more. The two of them shot into the sky and merged into the deep night, flying toward home.
Watching the direction in which they disappeared, Enji Koma let out a long breath and wiped the blood from his face, speaking with lingering fear,
"This time we truly have Hiro and Rize-chan to thank for arriving in time. Otherwise, these old bones of ours would probably have been left here."
At the side, Kaya Irimi softly echoed, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Yes. We must remember this favor well."
Manager Yoshimura looked at the two companions who had followed him for so many years. A trace of guilt flashed in his eyes as he said softly, "I have dragged you into this..."
"Manager, what are you saying!" Enji Koma immediately waved his hand, interrupting the manager's self-blame.
He forced out a relaxed smile, trying to ease the heavy atmosphere.
"Let's leave this troublesome place quickly. After this battle, the CCG side... will probably be furious."
Deep within the alley, the three figures supporting one another gradually disappeared into the night, leaving behind a scene of devastation that spoke of tonight's heart-stirring battle.
...
At the same time, the underground base of Aogiri Tree.
Yoshimura Eto looked at Yoshitoki Washuu, who was bound to the experimental table with special alloy shackles. The corners of her mouth beneath the bandages could not help but curl upward.
She extended a finger, her cold fingertip tracing across Yoshitoki Washuu's face, which still carried authority even in unconsciousness.
"Welcome to your new home, Director."
Her voice was as gentle as if reciting poetry. "Your bloodline... will open a new era for us."
Tatara stood quietly behind her like a silent guardian. Looking at Yoshitoki Washuu, he asked in a deep voice, "Is Kanou's side ready?"
"Of course." Eto turned around, her tone cheerful.
"With this most perfect 'raw material,' our experimental plan can finally enter the next stage."
Her gaze shifted toward the dark passage deep within the base, as if it could pierce through the heavy rock layers and see the "Dragon" sleeping underground.
"The prelude to chaos has already begun. Next... it is time for this The World to fully awaken."
...
The cold wind before dawn swept across the devastated battlefield, grinding smoke and the scent of blood into the night.
Itsuki Marude stood alone beside the wreckage of the command vehicle, the hem of his coat fluttering fiercely in the wind.
"Has the casualty count been completed?"
His voice was abnormally calm, as if the brutal battle just now had never happened.
Only the cigarette trembling slightly between his fingers betrayed the turmoil within.
"Reporting to Special-Class... casualties exceed two thirds. The list of the fallen is still being confirmed."
The young investigator's voice choked as his hands trembled while holding the tablet.
Itsuki Marude did not turn around. He simply waved a hand silently, signaling his subordinate to continue the rescue efforts.
The flame from the lighter illuminated his bloodshot eyes.
He took a deep drag of his cigarette, letting the acrid smoke fill his lungs.
From the very beginning, this battle had felt strange, Aogiri Tree's abnormal tactical deployment, the sudden appearance of unknown ghouls and the "massacre,"...
He narrowed his eyes, and the image of Yoshitoki Washuu's bizarrely healing wound surfaced before him.
The director's words before being abducted about an "agent that enhances regenerative ability" now felt full of inconsistencies upon reflection.
"Two thirds casualties..." he muttered to himself, the cigarette tip flickering between his fingers.
When the final wisp of blue smoke dissipated into the darkness before dawn, Itsuki Marude crushed the cigarette butt hard into the scorched earth.
A decision took shape in his heart, after returning to headquarters, he needed to thoroughly investigate the situation of the Washuu Clan.
Some truths had to be uncovered completely.