At the edge of a distant high-rise, Yoshimura Eto stood quietly.
The night wind stirred the loose strands of hair at the edges of her bandages, yet her gaze remained fixed on the two figures clashing fiercely below.
As the battle progressed, her breathing unconsciously halted.
Arima Kishou.
The man whose name was almost synonymous with invincibility was actually beginning to show unmistakable signs of decline under Amano Hiro's storm-like assault.
Thump. Thump.
She could clearly hear her own heart pounding violently in her chest.
Each beat was heavy and rapid, as if sounding the drums for a historic moment.
It's happening.
It's really happening.
The corners of her lips beneath the bandages curled upward uncontrollably. A burning excitement surged up her spine.
She had not been mistaken. This Amano Hiro who had appeared out of nowhere, this mysterious and powerful man, truly possessed the strength to overwhelm Arima Kishou.
As long as he took one more step. As long as he could, here and now, before all the surviving investigators and ghouls, slay the invincible CCG Reaper.
Then without any extra words or ceremony, he would become the unquestioned King in the eyes of all ghouls.
He would be the first ray of dawn piercing the long night of despair. The absolute hope capable of uniting all strength and igniting the flames of change.
The plan she and Arima had harbored in their hearts for years, vast and seemingly unreachable, had finally revealed a glimmer of attainable light at this very moment.
Yoshimura Eto watched the rapidly shifting battle below. The heart that had been pounding with excitement gradually steadied.
She frowned slightly. Beneath the bandages, confusion flickered in her eyes.
At some unknown moment, the two figures in the center had stopped fighting and were now facing each other across the drifting smoke.
At the center of the battlefield, Amano Hiro looked at the White Reaper opposite him, who was breathing faintly, his sword-bearing hands trembling uncontrollably, and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"As expected of the CCG's White Reaper. You really are quite strong."
After this exchange, he had formed a clear judgment of the combat power of the Washuu clan and the V organization under them.
In the end, they were nothing more than roadside weeds that could be swept aside at will.
Arima Kishou gazed at the figure before him who still appeared at ease. Even his tranquil mind rippled slightly.
The plan he and Eto had prepared for years had finally seen real hope.
This was the first ghoul he could not defeat even at full strength.
As long as they could ensure this person stood on their side, the future of this twisted world might truly be changed.
"You are strong," Arima Kishou said calmly, his voice devoid of fluctuation. "But possessing strength alone cannot change the essence of everything."
Amano Hiro savored the words, seeming to catch the deeper meaning within. He chuckled softly.
"As long as I am strong enough, that is sufficient. As for meaning, someone will assign it. Or I will impose it by force."
Arima Kishou adjusted his glasses, neither agreeing nor denying.
"Is that so."
Amano Hiro suddenly changed the topic and made an unexpected request.
"Can you hand Kousuke Houji over to me."
"No," Arima Kishou answered without the slightest hesitation.
"What a pity," Amano Hiro sighed deliberately, though there was no real regret in his tone.
Before his words had fully faded, a sharp sound cut through the air. A pair of massive dark red wings burst open from his back.
In the next instant, he shot forward like a dark red meteor tearing through the night sky, heading straight for the distant command vehicle.
Arima Kishou's eyes sharpened as he immediately leapt in pursuit. Even if he had other plans in mind, appearances had to be maintained.
Amano Hiro's speed was beyond imagination. In almost the blink of an eye, he was already above the command vehicle.
Yoshitoki Washuu, who had been observing the battle through the monitors, finally revealed undisguised shock.
He watched as that terrifying figure closed in at terrifying speed. The development of events had completely slipped beyond his control.
Yoshitoki Washuu's pupils contracted sharply as the dark red figure descended toward him like a meteor.
His knuckles turned pale as he calculated rapidly. He absolutely could not expose his ghoul identity in public.
At the critical moment, he forcibly suppressed his instinct and leapt backward using only his enhanced physical strength.
The instant he left the roof of the vehicle.
Boom.
The entire command vehicle twisted and deformed like a crushed tin can struck by a giant hammer. The metal frame shrieked.
The two operators inside did not even have time to scream before the warped steel plates crushed them into pulp.
Carnage stood atop the wreckage, dark red armor steaming with blood-colored mist.
He threw his head back and released a deafening roar. The soundwave swept outward carrying the stench of blood.
The surrounding investigators holding firearms instinctively stepped back in unison, intimidated by the ferocity.
"Stop him. Protect Director Washuu."
Kishou Marude rushed out from a backup command vehicle. Before his words fully fell, he seized a scattered quinque spear from the ground and thrust forward without hesitation.
The spear was easily caught by a claw.
Carnage let out a savage laugh mixed with electrical distortion.
"Special-Class Investigator Marude, do not get in the way. I will show you a good show."
"Nonsense."
Marude tried to pull his weapon back, only to be swung through the air along with it and slammed heavily into a broken wall.
The dark red figure lunged toward Yoshitoki Washuu again.
The CCG Director's face was ashen. From the corner of his eye, he saw Arima Kishou still dozens of meters away and cursed inwardly.
A thunderous rumble erupted.
Black tendrils burst from the ground. The spikes of IXA barely grazed Carnage's chest armor.
Arima Kishou's Narukami followed close behind, a sphere of lightning carving a brilliant arc through the air.
Two tendrils suddenly drove into the ground, forcibly dragging the massive body downward.
The lightning sphere roared past his back wings and exploded in the distance, scattering sparks of electricity.
Using the downward momentum, Carnage accelerated again, his claw aiming directly at Yoshitoki Washuu's throat.
In that split second, Amano Hiro had already calculated everything.
If the CCG Director would rather die than reveal his ghoul identity, he would capture him alive and hand him to Eto.
The body carrying Washuu blood would make an excellent kakuhou donor.
If he could not restrain himself and used his kagune, then he would leave this burning problem for the CCG to tear itself apart over.
The claw tore through the air. The wind it generated already stung Yoshitoki Washuu's face.
At the line between life and death, veins bulged at his temples. His teeth clenched tightly.
He forcibly suppressed the kagune that was about to burst forth from his body, pushing it deep back into his bloodline.
As a member of the Washuu clan, he knew better than anyone that exposing himself now would destroy centuries of effort.
A muffled groan escaped him.
The dark red claw seized him completely.
The inhuman grip tightened abruptly. His bones creaked under the crushing force, as if they would shatter the next second.
Pain surged like a tidal wave. His vision darkened from lack of oxygen.
Only the last fragment of reason remained, struggling to hold on.
He absolutely could not reveal his true form here.