Raid

"I'm very sorry for the unpleasant experience. Where would you like to go?" A young woman hurried out from behind the reception desk, approached Huiqi, and bowed in apology.

As she bent forward, her ample breasts were barely contained by her fitted blazer. Both curves jiggled, her deep cleavage especially conspicuous.

"What was his problem? An ordinary civilian causing trouble?"

Huiqi pointed at the man the security guards were already escorting away.

"Um..." She looked troubled, seemingly unsure whether to speak.

Seeing this, Huiqi took his work ID from his pocket and handed it to the receptionist.

"Special Class Investigator?!"

The receptionist cried out instinctively. In all her time at the Ward 1 headquarters, she had rarely seen a Special Class Investigator. Ghoul Investigators of that rank were all busy, either fighting on the front lines or attending high-level meetings.

Only after seeing the ID in her hand did the receptionist slowly explain the man's story.

During a ghoul extermination operation, a Ghoul Investigator had accidentally gone too far and killed his wife and child. Following its usual practice, the CCG had offered his family compensation, but he refused it. Instead, he shouted in the streets every day that the CCG was a violent organization.

"What was the name of the Ghoul Investigator who went too far?"

Huiqi frowned after hearing her explanation. Given that, the man's behavior was hardly surprising. After all, someone he had placed his hopes in had killed his family.

"I don't know." The receptionist shook her head like a rattle, cautiously looking around. She had only overheard the story from other Ghoul Investigators.

The CCG...

Huiqi stood still, staring at the sign before him as though trying to see through those simple letters to the meaning hidden behind them. After silently studying it for several seconds, he headed toward the laboratory.

As he walked, the man's words kept echoing in his mind: "The CCG is a violent organization." Huiqi couldn't help thinking about it. He recalled the CCG members he had encountered; their character varied widely, so behavior like this wasn't entirely unexpected.

But everything had two sides. Perhaps the CCG really did have problems in certain respects...

Brushing those thoughts aside, Huiqi entered the laboratory. "Where is Dr. Jin Toka?"

"On the far left."

With his answer, Huiqi headed over.

Bang, bang, bang! Clang, clang!

Bzzzt, crackle...

Boom! Boom!

When he reached Jin Toka, he found him busily operating his tools. His hands rested inside a haptic control device, directing the tools as a Quinque was forged on the workbench.

From the little that remained of its original state, he could still tell that its owner had possessed a kakuja. Its shape was gradually being fixed into that of a long spear.

Clink, clink, clink...

Jin Toka was immersed in his research, pondering for several minutes before each new movement.

Half an hour later.

Watching the sweat-drenched Jin Toka, Huiqi felt rather speechless. Even support personnel needed to take care of their physical fitness.

"Oh? Huiqi, you're here? When did you arrive? Come, come... Take a look at your new Quinques. Tell me if there's anything you aren't happy with. This is my first time working with kakuja kagune, too."

At the sight of Huiqi, Jin Toka seemed to regain all his energy. Excitement lit his face as he pulled Huiqi over to the workbench opposite.

"I named these two combination Quinques Thin Wing X-1 and Raider K3. You don't mind, do you? Of course, you can rename them."

Huiqi's mouth twitched at Jin Toka's excitement. He didn't understand what had him so thrilled, but being happy was a good thing.

As for the Quinques' names, he didn't care. In Huiqi's hands, a Quinque was simply a weapon. As long as it could kill ghouls, that was enough.

"Take a look. Are you happy with the design?"

Jin Toka pointed at the Quinques on the workbench. A silver dagger lay there, its edge glinting with a cold light, while the blade itself was transparent like glass.

"It'll do." Huiqi put the dagger away. It was a backup weapon, something he would only use if his main blade broke.

His gaze shifted to the long blade. It was very different from the one Huiqi had used before. Its blade was much longer than Amber's Wail, and its surface bore a pattern of tiny silver flowers.

"The blade's length should meet your combat needs. It also has a hidden mechanism. Press it, and the blade extends even farther while releasing a powerful electric current."

As he spoke, Jin Toka demonstrated it himself. Once he activated the mechanism, the blade abruptly lengthened, and fine arcs of high-voltage electricity covered its surface.

"Not bad. That's another option." Huiqi took the long blade and nodded in satisfaction. This kakuja-class Quinque was a tremendous upgrade. If he encountered Sen Takatsuki again, the fight wouldn't be as evenly matched as last time.

"Uh... The higher-ups asked me to develop an armor-type Quinque. Do you want one?"

"Set one aside for me."

Huiqi answered indifferently. He had never placed much importance on external protection. His enhanced body was already far beyond an ordinary person's, and few ghouls could fight him at close quarters. Most encounters were one-sided beatdowns.

Beep, beep, beep!

Special Class Investigator Huiqi, please proceed to Ward 5 to provide support.

The message that appeared on his phone made Huiqi frown.

"The perimeter guards are dead... Let's teach these brats a lesson!"

"The Night Demon Organization will make you pay!"

"CCG students have such tender skin. They smell delicious..."

At that moment, the situation around the CCG Academy in Ward 5 was grim. Dozens of ghouls had crawled into the academy to hunt its students. Fortunately, the Rank 1 Investigators and Rank 3 Investigators stationed there could hold them off for a while.

"Kids, don't be afraid! We've already called for help! Reinforcements will be here soon. For now, pick up your weapons and fight back!"

The veteran Ghoul Investigators knew perfectly well that hiding was useless. Ghouls had noses like hyenas and would relentlessly track their prey. Hiding would only mean digging their own graves.

With so many students joining in, the battle between the Ghoul Investigators and ghouls soon became a stalemate, with both sides suffering varying degrees of injury.

Time ticked away...

The Ghoul Investigators' initial advantage vanished completely. Several bodies lay on the ground, covered in bite marks, and the students had begun to flee in panic.

Their initially blazing spirit had disappeared. Without Quinques, the students couldn't hurt the ghouls at all. At most, they could harass them.

On the first floor...

Everyone watched the lobby warily. More than ten ghouls still stood before them.

"We've got more reinforcements coming. How about you come with us now?" One ghoul openly eyed the female students, occasionally sticking out his tongue to lick around his mouth.

"Disgusting vermin!" Akira Mado instinctively gave him a look of revulsion from among the crowd.

But a moment later, the ghoul heard Akira Mado's voice. His kakugan fixed on her direction in a piercing stare.

"Who?! Who said that?! Was it you?!"

Panic swept through the crowd in an instant. An empty space even formed around Akira Mado, with no one daring to come within half a step of her.

"Filthy vermin. You're worse than animals!"

Even after the crowd isolated her, Akira Mado's words remained sharp, every syllable revealing her hatred and disgust for ghouls.

Hearing Akira Mado, the ghoul didn't get angry. Instead, he gave her a strange smile.

"You wouldn't want an animal to have its way with you, would you? But today, I'm going to pluck your tender little flower in front of everyone! Hahahahaha..."

"Die, you monster!" Akira Mado's face was pale, her voice trembling.