Infinity, Progressing from Arasaka

The termination Washuu Clan's hereditary CCG leadership can be legal or physical.

The group stepped over the stairs and onto the blue brick path, heading into the interior of the mansion.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the surrounding city outside the mansion, the area became increasingly quiet as they entered the main house. Vera could only hear the crisp sound of her group's footsteps moving across the tiles. Oh, and the feeling of being watched from hidden corners.

As Vera stepped into a spacious hall with high ceilings, she immediately noticed the large solid wood table placed in front of the towering floor-to-ceiling window, and the elderly man sitting behind it.

Former CCG Chairman, Washuu Tsuneyoshi.

An old man with white hair and beard, wearing a monzuki haori and a stern face, exuding an imposing presence.

And standing by the table was the former director of the CCG, Washuu Yoshitoki. A middle-aged man with a thin beard, quite unlike his father, and a gentle-looking face.

"Commissioner Russell, have you come here to laugh at our family?"

Washuu Tsuneyoshi spoke first, his voice low and hoarse.

"And you even brought Quinque case? What, you don't trust your colleagues that much?"

"Safety first, caution is never a bad thing. Who knows Furuta Nimura incident will happen again?"

Vera shook her head with a smile. "As for watching the show? To be honest, things at the bureau are complicated enough. I don't have time to laugh at you."

Then, she said rather bluntly, "I'm here only to announce one thing, and I hope the two former bureau chiefs will cooperate..."

"Hey, hey."

Not knowing the full story, Anpu Kiyoko and Tanaka Maru Nozomi, who thought Vera just wanted to promote democracy on behalf of the USA and take the opportunity to eliminate the CCG's hereditary bad habits, were dumbfounded and frantically exchanged glances.

There's no need to make things so tense. The two former bureau chiefs deserve credit for their hard work, even if they didn't achieve great things. This will only exacerbate the conflicts within the bureau.

"..."

Marude Souta, who had already guessed and uncovered parts of the true nature of the Washuu Clan, remained silent.

"What should we mention?"

Provoked by Vera's blunt attitude, Washuu Yoshitoki could no longer sit still.

He chose his point of attack— Marude Souta. "Marutei, I'm disappointed. Isn't forcing me and my father to step down enough to satisfy your ambitions? I'm the one who promoted you. You should know very well that without us Washuu Clan, there would be no CCG. You should know very well..."

Seeing everyone's attention turn to him, Marude Souta first glanced at Vera, who remained calm and composed, and felt relieved. Then, he raised his head with a gloomy expression.

The thought of subverting one's superior, or even turning against the old bureau chief who promoted one, is truly agonizing when it comes to actually doing it...

Washuu Yoshitoki Marude Souta's eyes, his heart skipped a beat... He had never seen Marude Souta show such sadness, struggle and pain.

Could it be—?!

Marude Souta calmly asked, "Chief Yoshitoki, Chairman Tsuneyoshi, you... are Ghoul, aren't you?"

"Marute-senpai, you..."

At the very back of the group, the lowest-ranking, least experienced, and least informed member Uei Gun gasped in surprise, his light purple eyes filled with shock.

"Special Investigator Shinohara, Special Investigator Kuroiwa..."

He looked around and found the group of people as calm as if they had foreseen this.

Although Special Investigator Yasuoka and Tanaka Maru were surprised, they waited for Director Washuu.

As for Special Class Investigator Russell, she wasn't serious at all; her mouth stretched upwards in a joyful arc.

"..."

Inside, a frozen silence fell.

Tap, tap.

Vera naturally stepped forward and Marude Souta behind her, saying, "Do you still want to continue with your sophistry?"

As she spoke, she took out her phone from her pocket and made a video call.

Beep... beep...

The signal is exhaled, just like a signal, buzzing—

Outside the mansion, the roar of helicopter engines and armored vehicles echoed.

Didi.

The video call was connected.

Above him was a USA officer dressed in camouflage, with a howling eagle head emblem on his arm patch Velcro.

"The 187th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Air Assault Division is at your command, Commissioner."

The soldier's voice came through. "Our unit has divided its forces to surround the buildings in Tokyo Metropolis belonging to the Washuu Clan that the CIA has investigated."

Vera stood up, nodded, and smiled.

"Thanks for your hard work."

The final piece of the puzzle is complete.

As long as she finds enough evidence of 'traitors' and 'victims,' or rather, enough pretext for interference, and presents the dignitaries with a large enough 'pie' to exploit in Japan, the longer she stays, the more resources she can leverage and the more support she can gain.

This is the advantage of being part of a corrupt system and having powerful backers.

The initiative is in her hands. Although calling in reinforcements and relying on official power to mitigate risks may not seem heroic, it is indeed the safest and most convenient method.

"Having hidden for so long, aren't you rats in the gutter planning to come out for a stroll and see the light of day?"

Vera waved provocatively in the direction where the malice was most intense.

I'm waiting for reinforcements, what are you waiting for?

Her response was a pair of eyes with irises flashing a bright red light.

It has Kagune Eye. Double ones.

"This is outrageous!"

Puff puff puff puff—

The sound of flesh tearing as the Kagune bursts out of the body mingled with the metallic scraping sound of the Quinque opening.

Phew, this month, I'm going to get perfect attendance again!

161

Chapter 161 Tokyo Unlimited Fighting Tournament JPG.

Fire!

Boom!

A deafening explosion, so different from the hustle and bustle of the city, suddenly pierced the veil of urban life.

On the street not far away, pedestrians with surprised expressions belatedly looked in the direction of the sound and saw clusters of billowing black smoke rising from the spot where smoke and dust were rising and fire was flickering.

It was a large mansion surrounded by tall plants, with towering walls and special guard posts.

It's clearly the residence of a powerful and influential family, with such a high degree of privacy that it seems deliberately designed to conceal its presence. The design combines Western and Japanese elements, and one can vaguely see the rows of dark roofs inside, suggesting that there are quite a few villas.

"What's going on?"

"Fire or gas explosion?"

Is it a drill?

"Is the CCG fighting Ghoul again?"

A commotion erupted from the crowd.

Some people stood frozen in place, some ran away instinctively, some took out their phones to take pictures, and some wanted to call the police, but what moved even faster than them was the announcement of an emergency curfew in the capital.

On both sides of the street, the huge LCD screens on the glass curtain walls of the shops have stopped broadcasting all advertisements and entertainment programs, and have been replaced by the serious figures of government spokespersons and cabinet public relations officers.

"Announcement to all citizens, local residents, and foreign tourists: Effective immediately, due to the severity, urgency, and uncertainty of the Ghoul Disaster, a state of emergency will be declared in all District 24 of Tokyo Metropolis..."

Almost simultaneously, pedestrians at the scene received messages one after another; their phones vibrated, the screens suddenly flashed, and beeped.

A red UI prompt, similar to an earthquake early warning system, pops up automatically.

— [Entering Level I Emergency]—

[Area: District 24 of Tokyo Metropolis Metropolitan Area]

[Signature/Organization: Prime Minister / Tokyo Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau / US Forces Japan Command]

Martial law, or a Level I (red) severe emergency response?!

The citizens, who had been subjected to more than a month of high-intensity cross-departmental joint law enforcement by the CCG in their whack-a-mole-like Anti-Ghoul Operation, were suddenly bewildered and wide-eyed as they grew accustomed to the loud and boisterous parade of the military, police, and special agents in the city.

Last month, the chemical defense troops from Yokota Air Base intervened in the anti-terrorism Anti-Ghoul Operation in Ward 6, but they only imposed martial law on a part of Ward 6 and evacuated the residents of that residential area.

This time, they're actually going to declare martial law over the entire Tokyo Metropolis?!

Something terrible has happened...

The initial curiosity and excitement vanished instantly, and countless people turned tail and ran, going home, leaving the city, going to the countryside, or leaving the shore, with a variety of choices.

Suddenly, several more cannon shots rang out.

A deafening roar erupted from the explosion.

The heavy, upturned eaves of the mansion collapsed, spewing out thick smoke and dust.

Splattered bricks and wood chips, cracked concrete, collapsed roof structure. This time, the dull thud was crystal clear. Mixed with a buzzing sound that grew louder as it approached...

"Look! Over there! It's the JGSDF Force and USFJ (US Forces Japan)!"

Someone excitedly pointed to the side at the sound and shouted.

Buzz... Buzz...

The roar of rotors, the rumble of vehicles, the shouts of soldiers, the clanging of equipment... all these sounds had been echoing throughout the area since some unknown time.

Over there, in the direction directly opposite the gate of that mansion, more than two hundred meters away, on a relatively open street not obscured by tall buildings, a group of USA soldiers dressed in urban gray camouflage and wearing tactical goggles were setting up a blockade line in a tense but orderly manner.

Behind them, several 60mm and 81mm mortars stood scattered.

The artillery crew was in position, with shells and ammunition boxes with fuses on either side. The few shots that had just been fired were their signal and test firing.

Pedestrians in the vicinity had long since fled, and apart from state media, media professionals who dared to stay and report were forcibly evicted.

A group of CCG investigators and agents wearing badges from the North American Ghoul Countermeasures Committee were talking to a USA officer at the scene, pointing at the mansion.

Clang!

A Chinook transport helicopter hoisted an M777 Howitzer to a lower altitude and unloaded it under the guidance of soldiers holding glow sticks.

The more than 4-ton iron lump fell onto the asphalt road with a low, metallic clanging sound.

"Quickly deploy heavy firepower squads to surround Washuu Clan home in coordination with CCG investigators. Don't let any of these man-eating beasts escape! Throw CRC Gas to weaken them! Dismantle that outpost! Sniper teams, pay attention: kill everyone except the CCG Special Agents and Commissioners on the list!"

"See that main house? 60mm mortar squad, fire a round of the new CRC Gas special rounds at the breach. 81mm mortar squad, prepare bunker-breaking rounds. Howitzer squad, immediately set up your 155mm cannons and await my order to bombard the target!"

The USA lieutenant colonel, wearing black oak leaf camouflage, glanced around a few times with his binoculars before beginning to deploy the mission.

"Yes, sir!" ×N.

Soon, the M-224 60mm mortar began firing continuously, saturating the CRC Gas special rounds into the Washuu Clan.

The M777 Howitzer's breechblock was quickly deployed, holes were drilled, and the rear spade was directly braced against the curb for fixation. The barrel was lowered to its maximum firing arc, requiring almost no calculation of firing data. The breech was closed, and the gunner, eye-aiming Washuu Clan colonel.

This scene, resembling an attack on the Washuu Clan, terrified passersby who hadn't yet run far.

Individual light and heavy firepower, armed helicopters, etc., are frequently used by the CCG when sweeping away ghouls. The commotion caused by some guineas is no less than that of large-caliber bullets or even machine guns, so the citizens of Tokyo are used to it.

But the 155mm howitzers were all set up.

This can no longer be explained by counter-terrorism and anti-eating; it is a local war!

This is probably a large-scale political purge to eliminate dissidents...