Chapter 166
It was the 24th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar in Tokyo Metropolis, in the afternoon.
A cannon shot rang out from the Washuu Clan in District 1.
Inside the capital, the warm, festive, and poetic atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival that lingered on the streets before noon has completely vanished, replaced by blaring sirens, roaring military vehicles, and the arrival of "heavenly soldiers."
Buzz... Buzz...
On the lawn of the courtyard where the wall had collapsed and the plants were broken, the engine roared, the power hub rolled forward with the tracks, throwing grass clippings and mud to both sides, and crushing the blue brick embankment, sending pebbles flying with a crisp crunch.
Following instructions from the soldiers positioned to the left and right, the tracked M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle came to a stop. Its turret rotated, and the 25mm chain gun aimed at the breach in the wall where friendly forces were focusing their fire. Bang bang bang—
In an instant, dust filled the air, and the rubble that flew up from the wall that was hit looked like tiny smoke bombs mixed with sparks.
Inside the room, filled with the grayish-white smoke of CRC gas, a 25mm armor-piercing incendiary grenade exploded, bursting into clouds of blood mist and splattering flesh and blood onto the breach in the wall. Several muffled groans and screams rang out. Two soldiers scurried a few steps like cats and threw two offensive grenades inside. With two explosions, the group leaned out in unison, using Q-shaped or kunikons to fire at all possible targets inside.
The nearby anti-ghoul operator swung a giant hammer-shaped Kagune Quinque and smashed open the wall.
A moment later, there was another commotion, and the CCG investigators who had rushed in dragged out four Ghoul dressed as waiters. Their Kagune were shattered, they were covered in blood, their skin was torn and bleeding, and all of them had been shot multiple times in the face and torso.
"Clear! Safe!"
After receiving confirmation from the CCG investigators and North American anti -Ghoul agents that the target had been killed and the secret passage had not been discovered, the sergeant in the triangular rank 'Λ' clenched his fist to signal, and led his squad of sweeping infantry across the house and headed toward another villa.
The infantry fighting vehicles were also put into operation again.
The surrounding area was filled with sporadic gunfire and explosions.
Behind them stands a tall, broad building that combines Western and Japanese architectural styles, with an upturned, flying-eave roof.
The exterior is riddled with holes, with broken doors and windows, and wall bricks, plaster, and rubble scattered all over the ground, revealing the uneven gray reinforced concrete structure inside.
This is the ancestral home of the Washuu Clan, which has just been reduced to ruins.
The remaining members of the Washuu Clan and the counterattacks of the V Organization's Half-human were on the verge of collapse, and sporadic resistance was quickly wiped out.
Casualties were inevitable, but the USA soldiers were in high spirits.
While his weapon spewed flames incessantly, he cursed incessantly, shouting "Fuck!" and "Shit!" as he conducted a sweeping cleanup.
After all, the pretext of armed intervention—helping to eradicate ghouls—is inherently righteous and perfectly justifiable!
The members of Capitol Hill and the generals at the Pentagon had high hopes for this operation, which was specifically named Operation Gothic Serpent Beta.
Rumors circulate that the stringent standards for military casualty compensation in this operation will be relaxed, with the compensation being generously provided by the world's third-largest economy.
Drip~ Drip~
While the police were anxiously honking their horns and blowing their whistles to direct traffic and evacuate citizens, a joint operation involving multiple departments, including the CCG, the US Military, the North American Ghoul Countermeasures Committee, the CIA, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Self-Defense Forces, was already in full swing and proceeding simultaneously throughout the city.
Meanwhile, outside the Washuu Clan mansion.
"155mm howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles, and tanks are entering the city. Not only have they deployed Marines from the Okinawa Islands, but they've even brought in the 101st Air Assault Division, one of the three rapid reaction divisions of the USA Army stationed in North America. How much do they distrust us, Russell..."
With stains and grass clippings still clinging to his clothes from rolling around on the lawn, Marude Souta put down the ice pack in his hand, took a sip of mineral water, and sighed deeply. Suddenly, he frantically rubbed his forehead in frustration. Then, his somewhat gloomy and stiff expression gradually returned to normal, and he looked at the USA soldiers running around him, weapons in hand, in an orderly fashion.
Marines are easy to recognize.
The majority of US Forces Japan are fourth-class personnel, specifically the 3rd Marine Division of the USMC. Next are the Air Force and Navy, while the Army has the fewest personnel, with only about two thousand stationed in Japan.
The Pacific theater is primarily composed of naval and air forces.
These soldiers in front of us, whose camouflage is different from that of the Marines and whose armbands feature howling eagle heads with Velcro straps on their shoulders, are clearly the famous 101st Airborne of the Army.
Specially, troops were secretly transferred from North America...
The political message conveyed by this move is quite intriguing.
Considering the tragic reality that the Washuu Clan, who have led Japanese investigators for over a century, are Ghoul and the establishment of the Tokyo Ghoul Countermeasures Bureau, Marude Souta truly had no energy left to think about any other nonsense.
Before he completely broke ties with his superior, with whom he had worked for many years, he still harbored a sliver of hope.
Unfortunately, faced with Vera's seemingly demotion and stripping of power, which was actually a ploy to wipe out her entire family, the Washuu Clan eventually exposed their true colors.
From then on, the Tokyo CCG became the biggest joke.
Is the head of the Ghoul Investigators Ghoul?
Ridiculous!
We've completely lost face!
Therefore, it seems unsurprising that the international community will take any emergency response.
Marude Souta gave a self-deprecating laugh, carefully choosing his words as he asked, "Russell, just how determined is the North American Committee?"
The question was asked very tactfully.
Vera smiled.
"Our determination is to completely eradicate the ghouls."
Weighing the pale white serrated greatsword in her hand— the SSS-rated Kagune User Quinque [Owl] —Vera then removed her [New Ayato-α] armor. After effortlessly wielding the greatsword in a flourish, she planted [Owl] heavily at her feet and looked at Marude Souta: "Marude, remember our identities: Ghoul Investigators. We only deal with Ghoul incidents, nothing else. Any incidents that occur during the process are outside our jurisdiction."
After she finished speaking, she stepped forward and patted Marude Souta's shoulder in a comforting manner.
"Just do what CCG is supposed to do."
Vera put the SS+ Hybrid Quinque [Black Abyss] in her hand into a spare box, stood with her hands behind her back, staring at the main house in front of her, its outer walls cracked and charred, the traces left by Cang Jue and Karashi, the leader of the illegal cult 'V Organization' under the Washuu Clan.
The point is to make an example of someone.
Armed helicopters, military vehicles? Not enough.
A month-long crackdown has raised the bar for some people.
Only when tanks and cannons run over their faces will they know that this time, it's a cure that addresses both the symptoms and the root cause, a treatment that's like scraping the bone and tearing out the flesh to remove the poison!
Just like this trip back to Tokyo, since the goal is not only to kill Ghoul and improve the Quinque manufacturing plan, but also to destroy the Washuu Clan, Vera brought a large group of anti- Ghoul agents originally from North America to take up the post with their own investment.
First, you need to have a direct force that you can command at will, saving the time spent getting to know and expanding your team. Then, you can cultivate your close factions through social interactions, starting with a few key points and gradually expanding to the whole CCG. Ultimately, you can quickly mobilize the entire CCG's power for your own use.
It involves both using force to intimidate and using reason to persuade.
In this way, Vera was able to smoothly return to office and immediately mobilize the CCG to launch a sweep in the capital the very next day. Then, by using the problems discovered, she pointed the finger at Washu for dereliction of duty and ultimately used the ridiculous scandal of Ghoul infiltrating the Countermeasures Bureau to kick him out of office with accusations of incompetence.
The same principle applies to deploying 101st Airborne, or even directly hoisting 155mm howitzers to fire upon and repair residences.
Strike first to gain more influence.
Even if only one brigade came, it was enough to rouse the Marines stationed in the Okinawa Islands, who had never had meat to eat, and make them rush to Honshu Island to receive orders and start fighting. It made the Self-Defense Forces swallow their ulterior motives and let the Japanese political and business circles know the consequences of continuing to secretly collud with their Ghoul friends...
If you keep running into the line of fire, you won't be able to withstand the consequences of simply losing money to avoid trouble.
"Sir, latest battle situation."
Dennis walked over, holding an industrial-grade PDA with a bald eagle emblem, while checking messages.
Vera took the PDA, swiped, and opened the recording footage and tactical briefings from various investigation and inspection teams.
[ In District 11, an encounter has occurred with a high-ranking officer of Aogiri Tree, and the SS+ rank Ghoul 'Giant Mouth' has occurred. The Self-Defense Forces are now conducting Annihilation Operation!]
Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office formally arrested lawmaker Tanimoto Yasushi for alleged collusion with Ghoul, bribery, concealing income, and violating the Political Funds Control Law.
[ In District 14, traces of the Clown Organization have been discovered. An SS-rank female Ghoul 'Information Broker' is being pursued!]
[In District 4, the former leader of the Ghoul organization in District 4, SS-rank 'Faceless Clown', has been discovered. The US Military air force has intervened!]
[In District 8, the CCG investigation team was attacked. Captain Chinomu injured, and multiple investigation squads were wiped out. The attackers are from Aogiri Tree, led by one of Aogiri Tree's leaders, the SS+ rank Kakuja Tatara! He seems to be searching for Kousuke Hoji! Requesting backup!]
[Report! Unusual activity detected from the underground Ghoul clan in District 24. Requesting backup!]
Sucker Punch.
"Fasi. He's looking for you."
Vera said.
Kousuke Hoji nodded calmly, "Leave Tatara to me."
Yukino Shinoara, Iwao Kuroiwa, and the others also took their leave, needing to return to their respective investigation territories. These vicious Ghoul wanted to fight to the death, so they would make the 'Net' even stronger and strangle them!
Vera nodded to each of them.
If we let her do all the killing, forget it. It's not good to hoard everything. Merit should be shared appropriately.
But what about the One-Eyed Owl...?
Vera looked thoughtful.
Are there still District 20 left? Are they really becoming Anteiku?
He patted the hood of the car lightly twice. "How about Dick?"
Vera turned her head and asked.
"Keep watch on them."
After a pause, Dennis lowered his voice and replied, "There's been some unusual activity from the Tsukiyama Family. It happened not long ago, around the time you and the CCG's Special Investigators entered the Kazuo residence."
"Keep an eye on Kanami Tsukiyama and Shuu Tsukiyama..."
With that, Vera tilted her head and stretched, "Fine, I'll go myself."
Grasping the hilt of the [Owl] sword, he prepared to test the sharpness of the SSS-rated Kagune User Quinque against the Tsukiyama Family.
Suddenly, beep beep—!
A vibrating PDA.
Vera lowered her head.
His indigo eyes narrowed slightly.
"Huh?"
[Report from District 23: The Ghoul Containment Facility Quilalea has been attacked by a large number of elite Aogiri Tree troops. The SSS- Ghoul, One- Special Investigator Fukashi Kasumi, has appeared! One-Eyed Owl Haizaki Mikami has been killed in action! Arima and the others are being held hostage... they are deliberately sabotaging the cells holding the Ghoul!]
It was a rare instance where Lao Mei tried to do something good but ended up messing it up.
163
Before the end of Chapter 163.
Gunshots rang out, followed by a deafening roar, and the air was thick with CRC Gas.
The walls were shattered, cracks radiated outwards, and Man in Black flew out, his body nearly bent over.
He stretched out his hands, gripping a massive, pointed longsword.
The afternoon sun pierced through the dissipating dust and fell on the Armored Figure following closely behind. As the purple-red light, like a ribbon, flickered irregularly, the blood-stained blade, like a black and red ribbon, instantly sliced through the smoke.
Jinming!
The jet-black Gunblade, resembling a lance or halberd, clashed violently with the pale sword edge, sending sparks flying like forging ingots.
The Man in Black, exhausted, was bent and tilted by the weight of the weight. He and his sword were lifted up, tracing an oblique arc, and crashed heavily onto the brick-paved passageway, sending up a shower of rubble.
The Armored Figure followed closely, leaving afterimages in the air. He stomped hard on the pale greatsword, gripped the black blade with both hands, and swung it in a half-circle, cleanly striking the immobilized Man in Black.
Clothes ripped apart, blood splattered, and the Man in Black, who had been thrown into the air, curled up like a boiled shrimp, his knees almost touching his chin. He was sent flying backward again, slammed into the exterior wall of the building in the background.
With a loud bang, a large section of the wall caved in, the impact spread, and blood mist exploded.
Bathed in the bright sunlight, the woman in black nail polish, having finished all this, simply flicked away the bloodstains and dirt from her hands.
The gleaming Gunblade trailed a streak of blood in mid-air.
Crash! The building creaked and swayed as if it were about to collapse.
The flying concrete, peeling paint, and glass shards create a striking visual contrast with the tall figure gleaming with a soft glow on the exquisite armor.
In a daze, that figure seemed to be tinged with a golden light. On the battlefield filled with smoke and dust, the quietly burning Kagune wings looked like a seraph descending to earth to rid the world of evil.
A moment later, as the Armored Figure wielded her spear, the tip of which lifted the pale greatsword from the ground. With a swift movement of her hand, she grasped the sword.
She simply turned to the side and lightly swung her long blade.