Washuu Tsuneyoshi's silver beard trembled slightly, his face filled with disbelief.
"What exactly is this...?"
Kaiko and Arima Kishou, who were in the middle of fighting, were both affected by this overwhelming aura.
Their movements halted at the same time, and they both looked toward Uesugi Ryu.
Seeing Uesugi Ryu, who resembled a humanoid tyrannosaurus, a trace of fear flashed in Kaiko's eyes.
Thoughts surged in his mind. With a turn of his foot, he dashed straight toward the window.
He had no intention of risking his life for the Washuu. In this situation, the Washuu were definitely finished.
Glass shattered as Kaiko leapt from the third floor without hesitation.
The Owl in Arima Kishou's hand traced a semicircular silver arc.
The hem of Kaiko's suit was cut off by the sharp blade, and a trace of crimson blood stained the tip.
Behind Arima Kishou's lenses, his pupils reflected the rain of falling glass.
He leapt forward in pursuit, and the battlefield quickly shifted elsewhere.
At the moment chaos erupted inside the room, two groups outside encountered each other at the same time.
The T-Human blade in Ihei Hairu's hand unfolded, dazzling blue electricity coiling around the circumference of a pink sphere.
The girl's clear voice rang out along with the sound of thunder.
"Step back now, or turn into charcoal!"
A terrifying current of energy shot out, piercing through the entire corridor and halting the advance of the thirteen men in black.
Hirako Take and Ui Koori stood on either side of Ihei Hairu. Behind them stood the white-clad Squad Zero.
Squad Zero VS V Organization.
Drops of blood fell from the blade's tip onto the ground, tapping out a fading rhythm on the black-and-white tiled floor.
Inside the room, only Washuu Tsuneyoshi and Uesugi Ryu remained.
---
Name: Uesugi Ryu
Race: Human
Title: Dragon Devourer
Strength: ??? [Approaching the limit of this world]
Soul Strength: 13
Soul Tempering Count: 1
Power: 17 (SS+) [20] [Novice World Limit]
Speed: 19 (SSS+) [20] [Novice World Limit]
Constitution: 17 (S) (Equipment +1)
Intelligence: 19 (SSS+)
Mana: 950/950 (Recovers 32 per hour)
HP: 364
Special Skill: Black Dragon Scales (Unnamed)
[Consumes an extremely large amount of mana to greatly enhance muscle strength in a short time (Power +4, Speed +2), while significantly increasing defense]
(Mana consumption rate: 350/min)
---
Black scales covered Uesugi Ryu's body like an undying black flame.
He had no time to pay attention to the system changes as he slowly walked toward Washuu Tsuneyoshi.
Suppressing the fear in his heart, Washuu Tsuneyoshi let out a beast-like roar from his kakuja shell and charged toward Uesugi Ryu without backing down.
The two rushed toward each other. Uesugi Ryu looked at his opponent and a hint of excitement curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Even under intimidation, you still have the courage to approach me? Washuu Tsuneyoshi, you..."
In Uesugi Ryu's eyes, Washuu Tsuneyoshi's movements were like slow motion. The three-meter-tall body advanced as if pushing against a level twelve hurricane.
The distance of dozens of meters vanished in an instant. Looking at Uesugi Ryu, who seemed full of openings, Washuu Tsuneyoshi's eyes instead flashed with caution.
The slightly grayish bone blade on his forearm was raised high, slicing through the air with a shrill sound as it slashed toward Uesugi Ryu's head.
Without even raising his head, Uesugi Ryu grabbed the incoming giant blade with his left hand.
A burst of dazzling sparks appeared, accompanied by the harsh screech of metal grinding.
The black shirt on Uesugi Ryu's body was stretched tight by his swelling muscles.
With a crack, the gray-white bone blade shattered into seven pieces in his palm, the fractures resembling cracked porcelain.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's own strength reaching SSS level was already impressive.
After having all attributes reduced by 27%, he was at most an SS+ level kakuja.
The black-and-white tiled floor crumbled into powder beneath his heels. Before the scattered debris even hit the ground, Uesugi Ryu's fist had already pierced through the elbow joint of the kakuja shell.
A massive forearm was blasted away, with half a blade still embedded in its sharp armor.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's roar choked in his throat.
At the moment his left arm disappeared, he saw the reflection in Uesugi Ryu's golden eyes. It was the delight of watching prey struggle before death.
Facing such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, Washuu Tsuneyoshi could not even break his defense. A sense of despair surged from within.
Uesugi Ryu withdrew his left arm and flipped his palm.
Power surged through his body, yet he faintly felt that the Black Dragon Scales were more than this.
He curiously examined the black scales engraved with intricate patterns. The patterns resembled some kind of special script, and he unconsciously became absorbed in them.
The ignored Washuu Tsuneyoshi would not stand still. His remaining giant blade continuously hacked at Uesugi Ryu, sparks bursting brilliantly.
Uesugi Ryu did not move even a fraction from start to finish.
Only the collapsing ground beneath his feet and the explosive sounds in the air proved what had just happened.
Perhaps growing irritated, Uesugi Ryu came back to his senses, raised his head, and casually glanced at Washuu Tsuneyoshi.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi stared wide-eyed at Uesugi Ryu.
He wanted to see anger, contempt, even the slightest emotion in those golden eyes.
But things did not go as he wished. Uesugi Ryu's eyes held only calm. It was indifference.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
Washuu Tsuneyoshi let out hysterical screams, his attacks becoming more and more frenzied.
Uesugi Ryu's gaze settled on the chest of the kakuja shell. His sharp black dragon claw suddenly shot forward.
The thick kakuja shell was as soft as tofu. Five claw tips sank deeply into Washuu Tsuneyoshi's chest.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi groaned. In the next moment, a bone-chilling cold surged from within his body.
Uesugi Ryu's hand directly grasped his violently beating heart, and traces of dark red energy invaded his body.
A horrifying scream rang out. Washuu Tsuneyoshi's eyes bulged, the intense pain causing him to roll his eyes.
Feeling the scorching heat in his hand, Uesugi Ryu's lips curved slightly.
The wildly beating heart was ripped out of the chest cavity in the next instant, the coronary vessels on its surface writhing like struggling red snakes.
Blood seeped into the fine gaps of the scales. Uesugi Ryu casually glanced at the still-beating heart.
"A ghoul's heart isn't any different from a human's. Boring."
Before his words finished, his five claws closed gently, crushing the fragile heart instantly.
Fragments of flesh splattered through the gaps between his fingers, falling to the ground with wet sounds.
Uesugi Ryu flicked his wrist, and the blood remaining in the grooves of the scales suddenly ignited.
Black flames climbed along the dragon scale patterns, burning the last fragments of the heart into ash.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's body collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
[You have killed an SSS- Ghoul]
[Talent: Soul Devour activated. Soul strength sufficient. Permanently increased mana by 76 points!]
[Energy increased by 377 points]
Energy: 4/100 (Remaining draws: 10)
...........
In an instant, all televisions switched to the same channel.
Whether it was giant screens in malls or small TVs in restaurants, all simultaneously began broadcasting the crimes of the Washuu Clan.
Washuu Yoshitoki's identity as a ghoul was exposed by Special-Class Investigator Marude Itsuki and his team, and he was shot on the spot. The crimson kakugan confirmed his identity.
At the Eternal Remembrance Crematorium, the person in charge, Washuu Yu, was caught devouring fresh flesh in his office and was driven out on the spot by Associate Special-Class Investigator Hachikawa Chuu and Hoji Kosuke.
After the footage ended, a grave-faced Marude Itsuki appeared on the screen.
"I am Special-Class Investigator Marude Itsuki of the CCG. I believe many of you recognize me!"
"I hereby announce that the former CCG leadership, the Washuu Clan, is a ghoul family."
"The internal purge operation initiated by seven Special-Class Investigators of the CCG has basically been successful!"
Inside the restaurant, all the diners were stunned.
"No way! The founders and rulers of the CCG have always been the Washuu Clan. That kind of family is actually ghouls?"
"It should be true. The evidence shown is very complete. Those damn parasites were feeding on fallen investigators!"
"So that's it. Now I know why ghouls could never be eradicated!"
"The CCG clearly had RC detection gates but didn't promote them, saying the cost was too high. Turns out they themselves were ghouls!"
A white-collar worker sitting at the counter stroked his chin and joked with interest.
"Speaking of which, if even the top brass of the anti-ghoul bureau are ghouls, do you think the chairman of our conglomerate might be a ghoul too?"
Another slightly overweight office worker replied.
"The Tsukiyama family? That's an old financial group. Probably not, right?"
"Who cares. Once everyone walks through RC detection gates, they'll all be exposed!"
The diners continued discussing.
A woman sitting in the corner stared blankly at the screen. The chopsticks in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
With the CCG now fully liberated, the next step hardly needed to be said. There was a high probability it would be the extermination of ghouls.
Nishino Kimi covered her mouth with one hand, fear appearing in her eyes.
"Nishiki-kun?"
.........
Ward 1, Washuu residence.
As evening approached, dusk spread across the land.
Large numbers of fully armed investigators were deployed at various positions.
First Squad.
Suzuya Juuzou held his new quinque, looking extremely excited.
His quinque was still in the shape of a scythe, but this time it had two additional blades.
The crimson blades were covered with flame-like patterns. He gently rubbed his cheek against the handle, unable to put it down.
"This child is so beautiful. I can't wait to use it."
Shinohara Yukinori and Kuroiwa Iwao wore new equipment. Besides them, several Associate Special-Class Investigators and dozens of First-Class Investigators stood fully armed, waiting to charge into battle.
Mado Kureo's expression was calm, as if he had thought of something.
"The day everything ends is coming soon, Mado..."
Amon Koutarou tightened his grip on his quinque, his expression serious, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Or rather, all the investigators present were the same. Being manipulated by ghouls to exterminate ghouls was truly a cruel joke.
Amid the roar of four reconnaissance helicopters tearing through the clouds, Uesugi Ryu descended vertically along a steel cable.
Searchlight beams pierced the haze behind him, and the hem of his black coat fluttered like a descending battle flag.
Uesugi Ryu landed at the front of the formation.
The moment his boots touched the ground, all investigators straightened, their gazes fixed on him.
Uesugi Ryu swept his gaze across every investigator present, then spoke loudly.
"Former Chairman Washuu Tsuneyoshi and former Director Washuu Yoshitoki have both been executed. The history of the Washuu Clan ends here by our hands!"
"This is the end of Washuu rule and the rebirth of our CCG. The first step of the ghoul extermination plan!"
After speaking, Uesugi Ryu turned to look at the ancient Japanese-style buildings of the Washuu residence, a trace of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
His deep and powerful voice rang out again, carrying overwhelming authority.
"Operation order: total annihilation. Not a single one left!"
All eyes turned in the same direction as everyone shouted in unison.
"Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"
The killing cries shook the sky. Countless combat boots struck the ground, making the earth tremble slightly.
Like a tidal wave, the dense ranks of investigators surged into the ancient complex. Countless investigators rushed past Uesugi Ryu.
The Washuu family crest flags were torn into pieces beneath countless boots, and the reconnaissance helicopters flying overhead would cut off any thought of escape for the ghouls.