Chapter 77
Chapter 82 Who is the Ghoul? I'll Define It (5K)
As the rain fell, the shouts of battle gradually subsided, and the fight was drawing to a close.
"I almost forgot, I still have appetizers to eat!"
The old man with disheveled hair smiled sickly.
"Mado- class?"
"Don't worry about me, kill her, kill them first..."
Kureo Mado suddenly broke free from his colleague's support.
His body, already weakened by injury, exhaustion, and old age, suddenly lost its balance and collapsed into the dirty puddle.
After a brief and intense battle lasting only a few minutes, most of the walls on both sides of the wide alley had collapsed, looking as if they had been chewed by dogs. Not to mention the few unfortunate shops, the surrounding ground was covered with debris from building construction, Ghoul body tissue, and blood.
Completely unconcerned about his slovenly appearance and the dirt on his body, Kureo Mado stood up unsteadily.
He looked at a pile of off-white bricks in the corner, muttering to himself, and reached out to touch the centipede-like, chain-bladed Quinque lying submerged in sewage, but then, "Dad!"
Seeing this, Mado Akira handed the new Rc cells inhibitor spray that he had taken from Hishikori Kouichi to the senior investigator in District 1 beside him, while gesturing for someone to check the situation in the corner, and hurriedly ran over.
Pushing aside the so-called "Flute Mouth No. 1" Quinque, she helped her father up, frowning and scolding him:
"Dad, your mission is over."
Mado Akira carefully observed and examined her elderly father's condition. The bandages wrapped around his arms and legs were bleeding again, indicating that the wounds had reopened. She immediately grabbed her father and called on the CCG paramedics to take him away quickly.
"Now, you need to rest and recover properly. The security issues of the Ghoul in the District 20 will be handled by Special Class Investigator Russell."
She said seriously.
"No, no, Akatsuki, listen to me first. There are two more Ghoul over there. One female and one little one..." Kureo Mado smiled morbidly, his body language nervously pointing to the off-white Kagune that was mostly buried by the collapsed wall bricks.
As if it had heard Kureo Mado's words, the curled-up off-white Kagune seemed to tremble, and bricks rolled down.
The sounds of fighting had masked the noise earlier, but now that it was quiet, many investigators could hear clearly the faint sobbing of a child.
Are you a citizen?
"I don't know."
"No response to calls. Has the missing colleague been identified?"
"It's Kōtarō Amon, Class 1; Nakajima Yasutomo, and Kusaba..."
Click-clack, hissing—some raised their guns, others held up their Quinque. Several investigators exchanged glances when suddenly a gentle female voice rang out from within the curled-up, off-white Kagune, "They're here, out of danger..."
"Ha, still alive? Mrs. Fueguchi Ryoko, it's quite surprising that you didn't take advantage of the chaos to escape... 'Jason' and 'the transvestite' have both been killed, this operation is a complete success, Akira."
Kureo Mado laughed like an owl.
"You think we'll let you go just because you've taken Amon-kun hostage?" Just as he was about to continue his taunts, with a crash, the pile of rubble was lifted by four outstretched, moth-wing-like, extra-large, off-white Koukaku, revealing a mother and daughter embracing each other, and—
"First-class, Yamen! Nakajima, and the Kusaba..."
An investigator recognized the body lying on the ground and exclaimed in astonishment.
Those who work for the CCG are not surprised by the common occurrence of investigators being killed or eaten by Ghoul; rather, they are horrified by the unbelievable idea that Ghoul would protect investigators.
On the ground, Amon Ichi was unconscious, with no signs of being eaten except for abrasions and wetness. Nakajima Yasutomo and Kusaba, on the other hand, were both conscious and did not attack the female Ghoul. Instead, they had an indescribable expression. Judging from their position, it was the Ghoul's Koukaku that protected them from being buried by the collapsing wall...
"That really surprised me."
Kureo Mado was the first to react. His two eyes, which were originally different sizes, widened and were still full of malice, as if they were even more prominent because of excitement.
"A mother would abandon her life for her child, even endure humiliation and betray her race? It's disgusting, it's ridiculous. You Ghoul imitate us humans like that... Do you want to exchange Amon and my subordinates' lives for yours?"
Fueguchi Ryoko remained silent for a moment, then held the trembling Hinami tightly in her arms. In a hollow voice, she asked, "Is it okay?"
If she could, she would of course want Hinami to escape, but she couldn't. Ghoul war was raging around them, and there were vicious Ghoul like Jason who had 'eaten together' everywhere. CCG investigators who had come to their aid were everywhere, and if they moved, they would be discovered and would surely die!
She was just a housewife.
Staying here might have given her a chance, but she never expected that in just a few short minutes of hiding, before she could even escape, the battle would be over...
"Hahaha... Of course not! If you've got the guts, then kill Amon..."
Just as Kureo Mado was about to extinguish the hopes of the Fueguchi Mother and Daughter...
An ominous creaking sound came from the dilapidated shop at the end of Kuan Alley.
At first, the volume was very low, but then it suddenly surged, "It hurts, it hurts so much~ Yakumo, it hurts so much... What are these white doves injecting into my body? It feels so swollen, so numb, so weak..."
"Damn it! He's not an S-rank!"
"I recognize him. He's a weak, high-level transvestite, 'The Clown's' SS-rank transvestite... The inhibitors can't suppress him..."
"Quickly inform Special Class Investigator Russell, we can't hold on much longer!"
Mado Akira rushed over again, unleashing a barrage of new types of suppression bullets and Rc cells inhibitor sprays at the twisted figure pinned to the wall by a black spear inside the shop.
Before Kureo Mado could refocus his attention on the Fueguchi Mother and Daughter, boom! The wall cracked.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the rough, saw-grass-like Kagune swelled and multiplied, bulging outwards and breaking through the outer wall, scattering glass, bricks, wooden beams... countless pieces of messy shop debris were all thrown out at once.
"Ouch... it hurts, it hurts so much, it hurts so much... it feels like my body is being torn apart by thorns, like centipedes crawling on my spine... yes, that's the feeling, wonderful, so wonderful... she must be my soulmate, I want to devour her, I must devour her, devour her, devour her, devour her..."
This time, the deep, gruff voice belonged to Jason. The earlier murmurs were fine, but as he spoke, they became neurotic and hysterical again, with a slurred speech and a heavy accent as if his throat was blocked by drool.
Boom!
Four dark red Kagune suddenly erupted, like four steel whips, lashing down heavily in all directions. A sudden explosion rang out, and dust flew everywhere. The spear, which still shone with a purplish-red light in the smoke, suddenly emitted a piercing twisting sound, as if it was about to be broken free and pulled out.
"Ha~" The twisted figure in the smoke and dust opened its blood-red maw and exhaled a foul-smelling red mist.
Mado Akira looked around anxiously. She instinctively took a step back, but gritted her teeth and took two steps forward. She couldn't run away!
If they continue to suppress them, they can still live; but if these two Kakuja have become Ghoul are allowed to escape, even more people will die.
"Gentlemen, continue the suppression. We cannot allow two SS-rank ghouls to escape and endanger the lives of Tokyo citizens. Hold out until Special Class Investigator Russell arrives after eliminating external Ghoul forces. Victory is ours!"
Kureo Mado was stunned by that figure.
"Micro..."
For the first time, he completely forgot about the Fueguchi Mother and Daughter. "No, no..." He broke free from his colleague's support once again, tumbling and crawling in the sewage, shouting, "Wei..." Before his eyes, the swollen, secondary proliferating Kagune rose higher and higher...
"Micro!"
"Don't cause trouble, Mado is superior." A cool female voice said.
Kureo Mado was shocked to find his vision shifting upwards and backwards; he was flying?
No, it was him who was lifted up! An Armored Figure, covered in scarlet cracks and with blood flowing like molten iron beneath his concave skin, brushed past him.
A piercing, screeching sound almost punctured Kureo Mado's eardrums, followed by a deafening roar as black light tore through the smoke and pierced the already crumbling exterior wall of the shop. Building debris flew high into the air, obscuring the view of everyone present.
"It's Officer Russell."
Caught by a colleague, and shaking her head as if bombarded by the noise of a loudspeaker at close range, Kureo Mado vaguely heard the words.
Is it Vera Adelheid...?
Pfft—
The sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh rang out as Vera forcefully tore off a section of Jason's Kagune from his lower back. With the momentum from the high-speed impact, she kicked Jason, who was about to stand up, back down, her feet piercing through his layers of Kagune like javelins.
Grasping the "Black Abyss III" that pierced her right chest, Vera's V-shaped eyes, encased in the Kakuja the "New Proto" creature, emitted a terrifying red light.
With both hands exerting force, the blade thrust upwards and downwards, destroying and repairing the Kagune layer. Then, the gun was rotated, and with a cracking and hissing sound, the skin, muscles, and even bones all emitted a tearing and shattering sound...
From the moment it pierced through flesh and blood, the tip of "Black Abyss III" separated and deformed into more than a dozen spiral thorns, piercing Jason's torso muscles from the inside. With barbs and spikes, the pain was unimaginable as Vera stirred it.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Even Jason couldn't help but let out inhuman howls and cries of pain.
"Ouch~ It hurts so much, it hurts so much~"
At this moment, Vera also found Nico, a transvestite who had also been pierced by "The Black Abyss III" and nailed to the floor tiles along with Jason.
Compared to Jason's burly frame, this freak wasn't short, but in terms of slenderness and femininity, she was even more alluring than Mado Akira, completely hidden by Jason's physique. (Similarly caught in the spiral thorns that had separated and deformed from the connecting structure of the "Black Abyss III" Gunblade, Nico also cried out in pain, but his face was flushed, he was moaning and panting, and he was biting his lip seductively.)
"Oh, how vulgar and barbaric, Investigator Russell. Playing with someone's body like this isn't enough for you; you keep having your subordinates force-feed them the new toys your CCG developed. How wicked! You're making them weak, even their Kagune is limp..."
Vera: "..."
No wonder he's a pervert who shares the same stench as Jason the Yamori.
If she wasn't mistaken, Jason's ability to become Half-Kakuja, or even a full- Kakuja, despite inhaling and being injected with such a large dose of Rc cells inhibitor, was precisely due to this transvestite's Kagune ability—an extremely rare healing ability.
Vera glanced at the flesh and Kagune fused together between Jason and the transvestite Nico.
A filamentous Kagune, intertwined and woven together, was inserted into Jason's body. This transvestite was transferring his Rc cells into Jason's body... Tsk, you two are really playing around.
Moreover, they even used their personal image as a weapon, and while they talked about it, they didn't stop working on repairing Jason's physical injuries.
"Nico, a member of the 'Joker' organization, an SS-class Ghoul, a transvestite. Friendship? Since you didn't run away immediately, then stay and keep Jason company. I will turn you into Quinque in the same batch as Jason."
"Your healing abilities are impressive, but can you repair the brains of anyone other than yourself?"
"You..."
Vera's words revealed the truth and limits of the Kagune's power, and for the first time, the transvestite Nico showed signs of hesitation.
Not to mention the CCG, even among Ghoul, very few people know the truth about his abilities.
Bang bang bang! Vera fired her gun repeatedly at Nico, interrupting and distracting his healing abilities. At the same time, she held the "Black Abyss III" gun in her other hand, slightly turned her body, and kicked the gun, causing the barrel to push upwards.
With a whoosh, the Gunblade of "Black Abyss III" slashed diagonally upwards across Jason's chest, straight up to his throat, and burst out from the skull.
It caused large amounts of bone, blood, and rotten flesh to spill onto the ground.
"Help! There's no head. Try saving another one!"
Wielding a jet-black longsword, Vera swung it with a few beautiful flourishes, tearing flesh from the point where Nico and Jason's Kagune were joined, their bodies riddled with bullets. Then, she swept it across, and splat!
The twisted head, split open, flew off.
With a powerful stomp, Vera slammed her leg into the ground like a thunderclap, sending shattered tiles and pipes flying everywhere. Her spear flashed, and Jason's body flew heavily out of the house.
You've got no head, and you've thrown the body far away. Now you're going to try and repair it for me!
Although Nico is rated SS-class in the CCG, his offensive power and destructive drive are not as strong as Jason's. His unparalleled self-healing ability and unpredictable auxiliary healing abilities are the real reasons for his SS-class rating.
As for Self-Healing.
I could swing you all day long.
Recalling the records left by the transgender people in the CCG files, Vera rushed forward without hesitation, gun in hand.
Boom, thud, bang...
Jason's headless body crashed through the shop door and fell in front of the investigators outside.
"Is that Yamori?"
The investigators from District 20 were dumbfounded.
At the same time, muffled thuds rang out as two figures collided violently, the way they were thrown back was so fierce and bizarre that it was unbelievable.
One-sidedly, the emaciated, twisted figure was repeatedly slammed into the wall by the dark, armored figure.
Not only the head, but the Ghoul's torso and limbs also gushed blood, with pieces of flesh flying everywhere. The skin, flesh and bones were repeatedly gnawed and rotted until a pungent, nauseating stench filled the alley.
A mangled, humanoid mass of flesh was flung across the cratered ground. The flesh and Kagune- like organs continued to writhe and slowly repair themselves.
"Call..."
Vera relaxed her muscles and exhaled a breath of stale air.
"Xiao. Spray Rc cells inhibitor solution and take Jason and the transvestite to Dr. Hishikori Kouichi and B."
With a soft cracking sound, she partially removed the "New Proto" helmet, letting her brilliant blonde hair cascade freely down her back.