At the position of Squad Four.
Amon Koutarou held his greatsword, his expression complicated.
His brows were tightly furrowed. His face carried both relief and sorrow.
In front of him lay the lifeless body of Donato Porpora.
Blood had dyed the ground red, and had also stained the blade in Amon Koutarou's hand a glaring crimson.
Several drops of thick blood slid down along the blade, falling to the ground and splashing into tiny blossoms.
Amon Koutarou let out a soft breath of warm air, but his gaze never left the familiar yet unfamiliar body before him.
His emotions churned within him, and an irrepressible sadness flashed through his eyes.
The priest had eaten all the orphans, leaving only Amon Koutarou alive.
He wanted to know why, but it seemed that question would never be answered.
Amon Koutarou lowered his eyes. Just as he was lost in his thoughts.
The priest's corpse suddenly turned into a mass of strange flesh and slowly disappeared.
Amon Koutarou froze slightly. After a long silence, he revealed a bitter, self-mocking smile.
"Looks like I overthought it. You weren't that easy to kill after all."
On the other side, Takizawa Seidou looked at the cheering crowd with disbelief. Everything felt unreal.
The fear of death he had felt before had completely vanished during the battle. Now that it was over, he found himself unable to adjust.
Takizawa Seidou lowered his head and looked at the Quinque in his hands.
The snow that had settled on it had already melted into water, and a damp warmth seeped through his tactical gloves.
He muttered blankly, "I... survived? I actually survived!"
"Hah... hah!"
His throat moved up and down, making a grinding sound like jammed gears as he laughed intermittently, immersed in the joy of surviving.
Meanwhile, Mado Akira leaned against a nearby wall to rest.
Her once neat short hair was now messy, strands sticking to her sweat- and blood-stained cheeks.
Mado Akira suddenly sensed something and turned to look toward the end of the street.
Uesugi Ryu appeared in the distance.
The investigators around him were startled when they saw him and immediately greeted him respectfully.
"Uesugi-sama!"
"Uesugi-san!"
If Arima Kishou was the undefeated investigator, then Uesugi Ryu was now the strongest investigator.
He was the first investigator in CCG history to single-handedly drive off SSS-rated ghouls. It was unprecedented.
Arima Kishou had only repelled the Non-Killing Owl.
But Uesugi Ryu's achievements were even greater. He had repelled the One-Eyed Owl and driven off the Non-Killing Owl. The title of strongest investigator truly belonged to him.
Uesugi Ryu nodded in response, then looked toward Mado Akira.
After walking over to her, he glanced at her face and chuckled lightly.
"You alright? You look a bit rough."
Mado Akira lifted her eyes. What she saw was Uesugi Ryu, completely uninjured, full of energy, and even in the mood to joke around.
She shook her head helplessly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
The tension on her face completely relaxed in that moment.
She had been worried about him, thinking of asking about his condition.
But seeing him like this, she suddenly felt her concern had been unnecessary.
Mado Akira said calmly,
"How could I compare to you, Lord Uesugi? You took down so many powerful ghouls and still came out without a scratch."
Uesugi Ryu seriously extended his left hand in front of her, his expression as solemn as if announcing something important.
"Who says I'm not injured? Look closely. After cutting down those ghouls, my hand is practically swollen like a pig's hoof."
Mado Akira looked down at his hand, which had only a tiny bit of scraped skin, and her face filled with speechless disbelief.
Then a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
She suddenly reached out and tore off that tiny bit of skin.
"Ow, what are you doing!"
Uesugi Ryu sucked in a breath from the pain and quickly pulled his hand back, looking surprised.
Mado Akira crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly, looking smug.
Snowflakes fell onto her face. Even in the standard-issue combat suit, her figure could not be concealed.
Uesugi Ryu showed a helpless expression and quietly looked at her.
Just as he was momentarily distracted, Mado Akira stepped forward like a nimble cat and slipped into his arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his arm.
A burning warmth spread through the combat suit.
She pressed against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
His heartbeat was strong, like the roar of an engine.
In the chaotic snowy night, snowflakes fell like feathers.
On the battlefield filled with smoke, the two held each other tightly.
Uesugi Ryu gently wiped the dirt from her face with a wet cloth. A trace of cold killing intent flashed deep in his eyes as he softly said,
"Wait here a bit. I'll go kill the one who attacked you."
Furuta Nimura was useless anyway. Since he dared to interfere, he might as well be killed too.
Mado Akira did not even have time to react. The figure before her seemed to dissolve like an illusion.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly in the smoky air as she slowly opened her eyes.
Uesugi Ryu's figure was still there, but no longer carried any warmth.
"Honestly..."
........
"Damn it. Damn it all!"
Furuta Nimura's face twisted with rage.
His once neat white suit was now torn and tattered.
Three shocking claw marks covered his body.
The wound on his abdomen was the deepest. Blood flowed continuously, quickly soaking his white suit into a deep crimson.
The other two wounds were shallower, but still bled steadily.
Despite his heavy injuries, Furuta Nimura did not dare stop. He continued sprinting forward desperately.
At the same time, he kept glancing around suspiciously.
He tightly gripped the katana Quinque in his hand. It was now his only support.
"That crow lurking in the shadows is too troublesome."
Recalling the relentless attacks from Mephisto, fear flashed across his face.
After several exchanges, he had roughly figured out the opponent's ability. It could hide within darkness and appear unpredictably like a ghost.
But even knowing this changed nothing.
It was night. Endless shadows surrounded him.
Those shadows acted as a natural cover, allowing Mephisto to hide easily.
It was impossible to guard against.
At this moment, Mephisto was like a cunning hunter playing with its prey, lurking in the darkness, waiting for the right moment.
Its sharp claws were always ready to tear apart Furuta Nimura's flesh.
Mephisto's panel rating was only A+, but ratings did not mean everything.
What truly made it dangerous was its ability to merge into darkness and its two-tomoe Sharingan.
Completely hypnotizing Furuta Nimura was not possible yet.
But controlling him for a brief instant was enough. In battle, even the slightest mistake could be fatal.
"Clown, I bet you're going to die a miserable death."
Mephisto grinned, looking at Furuta Nimura with mockery.
There was no way Furuta Nimura could outrun something that could fly.
Mephisto alone could have killed him already.
It was simply toying with him while waiting for Uesugi Ryu to arrive.
Furuta Nimura naturally understood what Mephisto was waiting for. His mind raced for a way out.
Hoito Roma was probably already dead. The priest was missing. Even if he came, it would likely only be a clone and would not solve the situation.
After a brief thought, despair crept in.
The 20th Ward had been designated a special alert zone. There were no civilians.
His plan to create chaos was impossible.
A glint flashed in Mephisto's eyes. It suddenly shot out from the shadows, its sharp beak stabbing toward Furuta Nimura.
Furuta Nimura had already been on guard. He reacted instantly, twisting his body and rushing into a nearby alley.
The moment he stepped inside, a cold barrel pressed against his head.
Uesugi Ryu appeared in front of him.
The long-unused Destroyer was once again in his hands.
Cold sweat appeared on Furuta Nimura's face. Realizing his situation, he immediately raised both hands in surrender.
The katana in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
Against Uesugi Ryu, resistance was meaningless.
Whether he held the Quinque or not, he was no match.
"I was forced into this. There's someone behind it. Spare me, spare me!"
Uesugi Ryu sneered. He said nothing and simply stared at the ridiculous clown mask on Furuta Nimura's face, now missing its red nose.
Seeing that Uesugi Ryu had not pulled the trigger, Furuta Nimura's eyes shifted as he prepared to make something up.
Then Uesugi Ryu spoke calmly,
"Washuu Furuta Souta. Do I need to say more?"
Hearing his real name, Furuta Nimura's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
But Uesugi Ryu had no interest in talking further. He stepped back slightly and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The spiral patterns on the Destroyer's barrel lit up like molten lava. Flames burst forth.
The clown mask on Furuta Nimura's face twisted in the heat into a crying expression.
"Wait..."
Furuta Nimura tried to say something, but it was too late.
A deafening blast erupted.
The massive 35mm shotgun round roared out like a raging beast.
Furuta Nimura's head exploded like a watermelon thrown into a blender.
The crackling sound resembled a sudden summer downpour.
His body was instantly shredded into countless fragments, scattering everywhere.
A mixture of red and white splattered across both walls of the alley in a fan shape.
A pitch-black umbrella appeared in Uesugi Ryu's hand.
Fragments of flesh and organs struck against it with dull sounds.
The only proof that Furuta Nimura had ever existed was the grotesque pattern painted by his blood and flesh.
Uesugi Ryu casually discarded the stained umbrella and left with Mephisto.
The katana lying on the ground was also covered in his blood.
Its curved blade was quickly buried beneath the falling snow.