Mado Akira gazed at the imposing head before her, falling silent for a moment. The design was undeniably unique, leaning towards the grotesque and bizarre side.
The idea of giving this as a gift... well, Mado Akira's eyes shifted slightly as she studied the head, seemingly lost in thought.
"I really like this gift. Thank you. Did you manage to see its appearance? Was it male or female?" After a brief moment to collect herself, Mado Akira asked thoughtfully.
Uesugi Ryu's face was a little complicated. How should he put it? He had seen everything except for the face. "It's a female. The two owls seem to be related."
Mado Akira frowned in surprise. In both her mind and in everyone else's, she had always expected the powerful One-Eyed Owl to be a him, not a her.
By this time, the medical team had arrived, rushing forward to take out gauze and medical tools to tend to Uesugi Ryu's wounds.
Uesugi Ryu didn't use his ring to heal the injuries, as that would ruin the "pity" act..
(\~o￣3￣)～.
On the other hand, he also didn't want to draw any more attention from the Washuu family, especially after fighting the One-Eyed Owl for so long without a single scratch, it was odd, to say the least.
A shadow of concern passed over Uesugi Ryu's face. As his power grew, dealing with the Washuu family had become increasingly difficult.
He looked at the system panel, noticing three remaining lottery chances. Suddenly, he recalled that there was something he hadn't used yet...
District 11, Aogiri Tree Base.
A tense and bloody atmosphere hung in the air in the Aogiri Tree base.
"Hahaha, this is so much fun!" Suzuya Juuzou's insane laughter echoed as he gripped his massive scythe tightly, rushing toward Kirishima Ayato with a flurry of strikes that were like a storm of sharp blows.
His youthful yet twisted face beamed with an excited grin.
Faced with Suzuya Juuzou's onslaught, Kirishima Ayato quickly dodged, narrowly avoiding the deadly attack.
His black leather jacket was in tatters, with four or five sharp daggers sticking out. Blood flowed from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him.
"This freak! The CCG actually recruits people like him?!" Kirishima Ayato cursed, his face full of fury as he glared at Suzuya Juuzou.
After taking a short break to catch his breath, Ayato looked around and quickly realized that the situation was turning against them. Most of Aogiri Tree's ghouls had been driven out by CCG forces.
Even the S-rank bin brothers were slaughtered by this white-haired boy, and Noro was nowhere to be seen.
"What are you thinking? Getting distracted isn't good~" Suzuya Juuzou smiled slyly, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Suddenly, he stomped the ground, launching himself forward with lightning speed. His scythe sliced the air, creating a graceful arc of soft blue light.
However, just as the attack was about to land, a flash of pale yellow lightning appeared. Suzuya Juuzou was taken aback, hastily spinning to the side to avoid it.
"Wow, impressive! Your kagune can discharge electricity? How interesting~"
A mysterious figure, wearing a crow mask, emerged slowly. The black kagune on his back exuded an ominous aura.
Kirishima Ayato glanced at the newcomer in surprise.
Seizing the chance, Ayato's kagune flared, moving with incredible speed as he retreated rapidly. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared into the smoke-filled battlefield.
In the dark corridor, an eerie, oppressive atmosphere lingered. As Kirishima Ayato entered, a familiar low voice echoed through the air.
"Ayato, where is Kaneki Ken now?"
Before the voice even finished speaking, Yomo Renji's tall form appeared from the shadows, leaning lazily against the wall, his body blending into the darkness.
Not far away, Uta smiled and waved lightly at Kirishima Ayato, his face marked by a faint, amused grin.
Faced with Yomo Renji's question, Ayato scoffed in contempt. "Tch! I knew it would be you guys. You all came running just to save that idiot?"
"Where did that idiot Touka hide?" Ayato added, raising an eyebrow with a mocking expression.
"Ara ara, still so hot-tempered, Ayato-kun," Tsukiyama Shu said casually, stroking his mask with one finger.
Ayato shot him a glare of pure distaste. "Kaneki Ken was sent to the 24th Ward. It's been nearly a week now, so if he hasn't died yet, it's none of your business."
Tsukiyama Shu's face twisted into a maniacal grin as he screamed, "What the hell?! How could that pack of wild dogs desecrate my food?!"
Ayato rolled his eyes, muttering, "Crazy." That guy was clearly a product of inbreeding, completely mentally unstable.
Without another word, Ayato turned his back and began to walk away. Uta, standing behind him, idly rubbed his chin.
"This is a mess. Looks like we've come here for nothing. Finding someone in Ward 24 is going to be tough," Uta said, glancing at Ayato.
Yomo Renji answered calmly, "It's fine. Ken will be alright. Let's go."
With that, he took the lead and walked ahead.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Aogiri Tree base, a series of minor explosions rang out. However, the damage was minimal.
The CCG had raised their alert level after detecting the disturbance and quickly sent personnel to investigate and neutralize the bombs.
After some effort, they managed to disarm most of them, bringing the situation under control.
Elsewhere, the One-Eyed Owl had quietly left, leaving only a desolate battlefield in its wake.
Kuroiwa Iwao crouched beside the gravely injured Shinohara Yukinori, quickly removing the newly attached clothing from his body.
At this moment, Ui Koori, wearing headphones, kept in close contact with Marude Itsuki, reporting the latest updates from the field.
"Marude, the One-Eyed Owl has already left. There were no casualties," Ui Koori reported.
Marude Itsuki, who was in the command vehicle, sighed in relief. His furrowed brow, however, did not relax.
Something still felt off. The One-Eyed Owl was known for its extreme brutality, and each time it appeared, there were casualties.
While the CCG's equipment had significantly improved, the One-Eyed Owl was no rookie either. Regardless, this battle had been a victory for the CCG..