Beautiful as a Flower, Ruthless as a Wolf

After all members of the Aogiri Tree retreated, the battle subsided.

Su Xiao sheathed Dragon Slayer Flash, picked up his shirt from the ground, and draped it over his shoulder.

From the fight with Takatsuki Sen, he had lost 12% of his health. Blood was still seeping from the wound on his lower abdomen, causing his health to slowly decline.

Su Xiao also kept an eye on Takatsuki Sen's health bar. His two strikes had shaved off roughly over 10% of her health.

He had to admit, the vitality of ghouls was astonishing. In her Kakuja form, Takatsuki Sen's physical attributes were at least 15 points or higher.

If it came down to raw stats, Takatsuki Sen was definitely stronger than Su Xiao. But when it came to combat ability, the comparison was less clear-cut.

In Su Xiao's view, Takatsuki Sen had decent combat experience, but her technique was abysmal—she basically relied on brute force.

That was why he could trounce S-class ghouls. Ghouls charged headlong into battle and overpowered enemies with sheer strength.

Otherwise, the CCG investigators wouldn't stand a chance against them.

CCG investigators were just ordinary people with exceptional physical fitness, relying on skill and strategy to fight ghouls—though there were exceptions.

Amon Koutarou's arrival signaled that the area was already surrounded by CCG personnel. This was undoubtedly a good opportunity to join the CCG.

After sheathing Dragon Slayer Flash, Su Xiao walked slowly toward Amon Koutarou.

"Stop right there."

Amon Koutarou barked, pressing a button on his briefcase handle. The case underwent a massive transformation as something inside rapidly expanded.

The briefcase hit the ground, and Amon Koutarou now held a bizarrely shaped weapon.

A metal rod, its upper half wrapped in a layer of Kagune—this was Amon Koutarou's Quinque.

The strange design of the Quinque made Su Xiao raise an eyebrow. Could someone actually fight with that thing?

"What are you? A ghoul? A human?"

Amon Koutarou gripped his Quinque with both hands, eyeing Su Xiao warily. The sight of Su Xiao hunting down the One-Eyed King Owl had left a strong impression on the first-class investigator.

"Have you ever seen a ghoul fight with a sword?"

Su Xiao rested one hand on the hilt of his blade and continued walking toward Amon Koutarou.

Just as Amon Koutarou was about to speak, Su Xiao cut him off.

"No need to be tense. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."

A flash of white light—Dragon Slayer Flash left its sheath and rested against Amon Koutarou's neck.

"Gulp." Amon Koutarou swallowed hard, stunned. Su Xiao's draw speed was terrifying.

"So, relax."

Sheathing the blade, Su Xiao patted Amon Koutarou on the shoulder.

Amon Koutarou felt a crushing sense of defeat. If the other party had been a ghoul, he'd already be dead.

"Hey."

"What?" Amon Koutarou looked at Su Xiao, confused.

"Is the CCG still hiring? That ghoul lying over there can be my joining gift."

Only then did Amon Koutarou notice Gecko's headless corpse.

"Is that... the S-class ghoul Jason?"

Amon Koutarou, Quinque in hand, rushed over to Gecko's body. In CCG records, Gecko was listed as Jason.

"You haven't answered my question."

Su Xiao pulled some medical bandages from his Storage Space, wiped the blood from his abdominal wound, and roughly wrapped it up.

Amon Koutarou hesitated, but he knew this was an opportunity. Su Xiao had chased down the One-Eyed King Owl—his strength was unquestionable.

No more than two people in the CCG could do that.

"Joining the CCG requires strict screening, but your case is special. As long as we confirm you're not a ghoul, it should be fine."

Hearing the clear answer, Su Xiao smiled.

His biggest fear was that joining the CCG would be too troublesome. He didn't have much time for his main mission.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Rapid footsteps echoed. An old man with shoulder-length white hair, carrying a briefcase, entered the room.

The old man had mismatched eyes—one large, one small—and moved with a twitchy, almost morbid air.

It was Amon Koutarou's superior, Associate Special Class Investigator Mado Kureo.

Mado Kureo had once been a kind and righteous ghoul investigator. But after his wife was killed by a ghoul—and he witnessed her face being devoured—he changed completely.

He became consumed by hatred for ghouls and obsessed with crafting Quinques.

Still, he treated his fellow investigators well, as shown by his earnest mentorship of Amon Koutarou.

"Mr. Mado, you're here."

Amon Koutarou stepped forward and murmured something to Mado Kureo.

Moments later, Mado Kureo's mismatched eyes went wide as he stared at Su Xiao in disbelief.

Mado Kureo darted over to Su Xiao in a few quick strides, moving with startling agility, then sniffed around him like a canine.

"A human. No mistake. I'd never forget the stench of those beasts, not even in death."

Once certain Su Xiao was human, Mado Kureo grew exceedingly warm.

"Hello, I'm Mado Kureo. You really fought the One-Eyed Owl?"

Flames seemed to burn in Mado Kureo's eyes, brimming with anticipation.

Seeing that look, Su Xiao sighed. It was a gaze all too familiar—he'd once worn it himself.

Hatred. A hatred that consumed everything.

"Yeah, we clashed. The terrain was unfavorable, and that bastard got away. A shame."

"Hahaha." A sick, neurotic laugh rang out.

"You want to join the CCG? Come with me. I'll be your sponsor."

At this point, Mado Kureo no longer cared about Su Xiao's background or identity. As long as he could kill the One-Eyed King Owl, he'd give everything—including his life.

"Mr. Mado, calm down."

Amon Koutarou placed a hand on Mado Kureo's shoulder. Mado Kureo steadied his breathing for a moment, then nodded.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Amon Koutarou added a smile.

"Byakuya."

"And your background?"

Su Xiao's silence left Amon Koutarou somewhat exasperated.

"How about this, Mr. Byakuya. You're injured from the fight—against a ghoul, no less. We have a medical vehicle downstairs. As for joining the CCG, we can discuss it in detail at the Ward 20 branch."

Su Xiao pondered for a moment, then nodded, following Amon Koutarou downstairs.

Mado Kureo had already spotted Gecko's corpse. He hoisted it onto his shoulder and went down with the other two.

Downstairs, over a dozen vehicles were parked, sirens wailing, red and blue lights flashing.

The CCG had likely received civilian reports of a ghoul in the area, dispatching two ghoul investigators. The officers present were only tasked with evacuating nearby civilians.

Behind a medical vehicle, Su Xiao sat shirtless on a simple cot. A pretty young nurse focused intently on treating his wounds.

"Um~," came her timid voice. Su Xiao glanced over.

"The wound is too deep. A little anesthetic would be better, otherwise..."

"No. Anesthetics dull my nerve reflexes. Just stitch it directly."

The nurse hesitated, then finally nodded.

Though she was as lovely as a flower, with a timid voice and a look that seemed easy to knock over, her hands were ruthless—judging by Su Xiao's twitching face.

I updated late yesterday, so I'm updating earlier today.