Infinite: Growing Stronger from Arasaka Chapter 168

Most of this cylindrical fortress building is built underground, resembling a piece of forged steel buried deep in the earth.

"There are so many... prisons, shelters and the like, it's easy for them to become the enemy's granary if you're not careful."

With a sigh, Vera flicked the blood off the blade of her [Owl] sword, sending the blood flying through the air.

She could feel the fullness emanating from [New Xuandu-α], she was full, couldn't eat anymore, so bloated, completely stuffed...

Vera glanced out of the corner of her eye at the sticky blood dripping from between her gauntlets.

From the pureblood state banquet at the Washuu Clan in District 1 to the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Aogiri Tree restaurant in District 23, it seems they were really stuffed, no longer even absorbing or consuming the fresh blood of Ghoul with high Rc cells.

Pfft!

A sharp weapon pierced flesh and penetrated the ground.

With one hand supporting her pale greatsword, Vera stepped on the grotesque corpse. A hum sounded as her crimson, glowing 'V'-shaped goggles locked onto her.

Based on past experience, the Ghoul should have lost morale and scattered and fled.

But this time—

"For the One-Eyed King!"

A Ghoul stepped out from the crowd and shouted loudly.

Vera was slightly taken aback by the desperate yet hateful and resolute tone in his voice.

Are we really going to charge straight in?

These Ghoul are like Rc cells in their brains, completely reckless and disregarding their own lives, like they're on drugs, skating, or smoking too much.

The investigators and anti-ghouls behind her hardly needed to aim; they simply raised their guns and fired, and most of their bullets found a warm home.

Vera looked suspicious.

Kishou Arima and the One-Eyed Owl up to? This is such a blatant and tactical feeding.

Also, aside from the escaped prisoners, when did the Aogiri Tree have so many members?

Never mind, it's not important.

Tumultuous--

The explosively burning Ukaku lit up, Kagune swayed without wind. Vera shook her head, picked up her greatsword, and slowly walked forward.

Slaughter them!

Chop, chop, chop!

Waaaaaagh!

If you dare to send it, she dares to kill you!

Bang! With a roar, the black shadow, which had paused for a moment, accelerated again. In an instant, the sound of sword blades slicing through the flesh of the Kagune and the sound of swinging and smashing blended together.

The Ghoul of Aogiri Tree surged like a dark red tide from the depths of Quilalea. Vera swam against the current into the 'Red Tide,' carving a bloody path through this Ghoul of varying quality.

For Vera, the battle was not intense, but it was exceptionally bloody.

The Aogiri Tree was relentlessly compressed and pushed back, as the investigators continued their advance.

The density of the fallen corpses was so high that they tripped people and hindered the attack.

It's just an obstacle.

Box--!

Inside the cylindrical, enclosed underground shelter, the topmost iron door was kicked open from the outside.

Vera burst through the door, tracing a beautiful arc as she crashed through the railing, and kicked an S+ rank Half-Kakuja Aogiri Tree executive into the thick wall of the central 'core'.

This gravitational acceleration attack was fast and fierce, smashing even the C80 concrete mixed with Quinque Steel fibers into pieces, sending debris flying and causing the outer layer of the Quinque Steel armor to collapse.

The Half-Kakuja's ribs were almost completely crushed, emitting a suffocating, sticky gurgling sound. Vera, being kind-hearted, pierced its chest and beheaded it, giving it a merciful death without torture or cruelty.

With a resounding thud, Vera landed smoothly.

Stepping onto the honeycomb-shaped metal grid corridor, she looked down at the deep underground structure that was excavated downwards in a spiral pattern.

The interior of the Ghoul Containment Facility resembled a giant cylindrical mixer made of Quinque Steel.

The central 'core' integrates key departments such as elevators, the warden's office, guard rooms, weapons room, central control room, and medical evacuation room.

The inner wall of the outer 'cylinder' is the cell block for Ghoul, which is divided into many layers. Each layer of cells has a circular corridor in front of it. The stairs going up and down are strictly controlled by special Quinque gates and guard rooms. Every few layers, the 'cylinder core' and the 'cylinder body' are connected by fully automated and controllable steel skybridges.

The lower the level, the higher the Ghoul's rank that is being held and imprisoned.

"Sir, it's the body of Special Investigator Fukashi Kasumi..."

An investigator reported this.

"Send some people to do a simple burial."

Vera scanned the skybridge connecting to the control room, taking in the corpses and remains of Ghoul, Prison Guard, and torturers lying on the ground, before turning to give the order.

"Have Matt and the others sent any news back?"

She asked.

Not yet. But it's speculated that they're alive.

As he spoke, the investigator looked down into the deepest part of Quilalea.

Bang! Boom! Roar! Clang! Crack...

Explosions, roars, howls, tremors.

All of this speaks volumes about how people at the lower levels are still holding their ground and fighting on.

That inhuman howl most likely came from the One-Eyed Owl, the king of the Aogiri Tree, which is below.

Vera looked down.

From the pitch-black depths, a thick, cough-inducing stench of blood rose up. Pairs of crimson eyes, like fresh blood, stared intently at her.

Da da da da.

The dense gunfire echoed underground as more and more anti-ghoul operators arrived.

Tap, tap—

Just then, hurried footsteps approached.

"Where is Xiao? Xiao, Xiao must be here. Xiao, haha, your death is near."

The voice arrived before the person.

The white-haired old man with wide, bulging eyes was none other than Kureo Mado. He rushed to the corridor, gripped the railing tightly with both hands, leaned forward, and muttered nervously.

When he saw Vera standing on the next floor, his face lit up with joy.

" With Special Class Investigator Russell, and Matt and the others here, this time, we must drive the Owl out! Drive him out! Hahaha..."

"Mado -sama, calm down. You're a veteran of the CCG, you know the habits and weaknesses of Ghoul. The mission is for you to set up the encirclement and block the entrances and exits of Quilalea. Remember, do not let any Ghoul prisoners escape."

Upon hearing Vera's order, Kureo Mado forcibly suppressed the hatred in his heart, his expression turned serious, and he nodded.

"Very good. I believe that when martial law in Tokyo ends, you will no longer refuse to advance."

As soon as she finished speaking, Vera jumped down from the corridor in Kureo Mado's stunned gaze.

"Thanks..."

Watching the dark figure fall through the air and disappear into the gap of the gate separating the lower level, Kureo Mado murmured to himself.

In fact, after the raid on the Ghoul Restaurant in Ward 7, Vera had offered him a promotion, but he refused. His reason remained the same: after being promoted from Senior to Associate Special Investigator, there were too many miscellaneous tasks, and he was an Avenger.

"Mr. Mado!"

Another burst of hurried footsteps.

"Excellent, Amon, seal off the Upper District and set up defenses. Hirako, Ito... Akatsuki, get moving! This will be the final 'One-Eyed Owl Extermination Battle'!"

Meanwhile, deep within Quilalea Ghoul wasteland.

"She's here."

A cold male voice rang out.

"It's finally here."

A somewhat frantic female voice, as if suppressing some kind of madness, continued, "Sadness, anger, emptiness, a kind of indistinct but dark emotion brewing in our hearts, clearly despairing of everything, having no expectations of anyone... wanting to destroy everything... Why did we make such a decision, Arima?"

"..."

Silence.

"Tch, how boring."

The woman didn't seem to like the silence. "But you're right. I was so stupid, really. You were just as stupid, choosing her as the only option—"

At that very moment, boom—!

With a piercing whistling sound as the air was forced apart, the steel grating panels of the dome collapsed one after another, and the black-armored figure plummeted down like a cannonball, crashing into the giant hydraulic crushing device in the Ghoul Containment Facility that was used to process and recycle discarded Ghoul, sending dust and debris flying high into the air.

"Are you two playing house?"

As the wisps of smoke gradually dissipated, a clear, cool female voice drifted over, tinged with amusement.

The owl's blade sliced through the smoke, and Vera emerged from the pit.

"How do two completely unrelated beings manage to get along so well, a highly decorated Special Class Investigator and a deeply sinful SSS-rated Kagune User?"

Vera asked the question knowingly, looking at the Half-human man and Half-Ghoul woman present.

A man dressed in white with white hair, a well-proportioned figure, handsome features, and wearing narrow-rimmed glasses.

It was Kishou Arima. The CCG's the White Reaper.

And a Kakuja that is at least three meters tall.

Four pale white three-fingered claws touched the ground. On the shoulder blades and spine, the Kagune seemed to bloom, clustering together one after another. But the most eye-catching thing was undoubtedly the monster's head. In the gaping maw, a beautiful woman stood upright with her upper body wrapped only in bandages.

Judging from her appearance alone, she is a very sweet-looking girl with a head of fluffy, thick, messy dark green long hair, giving her the air of a well-bred young lady.

Unfortunately, the right eye, that terrifying Kagune Eye that flashed with horror, shattered all the beauty.

One-Eyed Ghoul.

At least on the surface, Vera said in an uncertain tone, "Takatsuki Sen."

"Oh my, I never expected that the famous CCG's Angel of Death, the high-ranking Special Investigator and Commander of Martial Law, would remember my name. It is truly an honor."

Without any attempt to conceal her true identity, as if she no longer cared about being human, Takatsuki Sen grinned wildly.

"Is that so? Then you may have the honor of dying."

With a sneer, Vera seemed to have no intention of saying another word to the Ghoul. She slowly paced forward, her right hand holding the sword [Owl], whose blade shimmered with a red glow. The tip of the sword scraped against the ground, producing a sharp metallic scraping sound and sparks flying.

Just as she lowered her body, Kishou Arima spoke up, "Russell, let's talk."

He then added, "I destroyed the surveillance and listening systems."

His tone was calm and composed, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. At first glance, he seemed polite and courteous, yet also distant and indifferent, keeping people at arm's length.

Vera didn't speak, but the downward thrust of her sword tip was enough to show her attitude.

"I'm going to die."

He made explosive remarks as soon as he opened his mouth.

"So what?"

"I am not human."

Without any further comment, Kishou Arima continued to speak to himself, "At least not a pure human as commonly understood."

"I was born in the Shirogane. I was a member of the branch of the Washuu Clan that you wiped out, and also a member of the V Organization. I am a special Half-human with Ghoul blood but no Kakuhou or Kagune Eye. I can eat human food normally, but the price is that my lifespan is less than thirty years on average."

"Thirteen years ago, I made a promise with Takatsuki Sen to change this world and build a world where humans and Ghoul could coexist peacefully. Even if it started in Tokyo, it would require the power of the 'One-Eyed King'..."

"Arima and I are the previous throne."

Takatsuki Sen suddenly interjected, "Arima possesses the power a 'King' should have, yet he is not a one-eyed being; while I, as a one-eyed being, did everything a 'King' should do, but ultimately I was defeated by Arima. So we've been creating an opportunity. If there were Ghoul capable of killing Kishou Arima, he would become the Ghoul's hope. Unfortunately..."

She looked at Vera.