"This guy… how is that even possible…"
Watching Hōjō Yoru kill their companion barehanded, Matsuo Satoshi and the remaining ghoul both stared in disbelief.
A ghoul's body was built differently—one could say they possessed a special kind of resistance created by RC cells.
The simplest way to pierce that resistance and deal meaningful damage was to use weapons made from the same "RC-cell" principle: a CCG quinque, ghoul-suppression firearm rounds, or a ghoul's natural weapon—its kagune.
And yet the monster in front of them hadn't even revealed kakugan.
He hadn't produced a kagune.
He simply tore through a ghoul and crushed its heart with brute, savage force.
When did Tokyo produce something like this?
Even now, neither of them truly believed Yoru was human.
In their worldview, only another ghoul could have physicality this grotesque. Even the CCG investigators—no matter how dangerous—relied on technique and specialized weapons. They could not do this.
But then… what about that girl with the gun?
Why wasn't she pulling the trigger?
And that handgun—
Are those ghoul-suppression rounds?
Just as Yoru had predicted, Asuna's stance looked professional, her aim quick and steady. Even without firing, the two ghouls were still under pressure from that unwavering muzzle line.
"W-wait!"
Facing Yoru—who looked like he might charge at any second—Satoshi's face was drenched in sweat. His voice shook as he raised a hand.
"L-let's talk! There's no need for both sides to get hurt. If you want to eat your own kind… eating that one is enough, right? We'll stop here—pretend nothing happened. We'll leave immediately…"
"Reconcile?" Yoru repeated softly.
"At a time like this?"
He stared at Satoshi's trembling body, voice calm and almost curious.
"Are you joking?"
"Hōjō Yoru! Don't get cocky!"
Cornered, Satoshi finally threw out what he believed was his heaviest bargaining chip—his last threat—roaring like someone willing to drag everyone down with him.
"Think carefully! If you don't kill me, I'll expose your identity as a ghoul! Then you'll die with me!"
"…Pfft."
What Satoshi and the other ghoul didn't expect was that the silent Asuna couldn't hold it in.
She burst out laughing.
Yoru glanced at his partner—who was clearly struggling not to crack up—and said solemnly, like a commander issuing battlefield discipline.
"Yuuki-san, can you be more professional? I know it's hilarious, but you have to hold it in. That's an order."
"S-sorry, sorry."
Asuna knew she wasn't being professional—but from her perspective, it was almost impossible not to laugh.
From a ghoul's viewpoint, Yoru's monstrous physical ability had to mean he was one of them.
But Asuna knew the truth: Yoru was human—and a member of the Anti-Demon Special Operations Division.
So hearing Satoshi scream about "exposing your ghoul identity" as a threat was… absurd.
"Mm. Recognizing your mistakes and correcting them—great virtue," Yoru nodded with exaggerated gravitas.
Then he looked back at the two ghouls and laughed the same way Asuna had.
"Pfft. I already told you—I'm not a ghoul. And you're still trying to threaten me with 'identity exposure'?"
His smile shifted—lightness draining into something colder.
"Here's the real problem."
"Yuuki-san and I have seen your faces."
"If you don't kill us here…"
"Then you're finished."
Satoshi and the remaining ghoul both felt the situation turn bad—instantly.
If Yoru was a ghoul, then he was a lunatic who didn't care about exposure and had no problem with excessive cannibalism.
If Yoru was human, then he had no reason to fear "exposure" in the first place.
Either way…
It meant they had to kill him and the human girl tonight.
"Arrogant bastard—then die!!"
As the shout rang out, something burst open beneath Satoshi's left shoulder blade—unfurling into a thick, shield-like mass.
At the same time, the other ghoul's tailbone flared, producing a thick, scaled tail like a weapon.
One from the left.
One from the right.
Both lunged at Yoru at terrifying speed.
"Koukaku and bikaku, huh…"
Yoru raised his left arm to block the scaled tail as it swung down like a meteor hammer. His right palm pressed against Satoshi's koukaku shield.
Nearby, Asuna's eyes tightened with worry.
This was the first time she'd seen Yoru take a defensive posture in combat—
the first time he looked like he'd lost control of the tempo.
Maybe this is the weakness of martial arts…
From ancient times to now, all fighting systems were built with "human opponents" as the baseline. There were techniques for weapons and firearms, sure—but the premise was still human anatomy.
A human holding a heavy shield? You could attack from the side and break the wrist.
But a koukaku shield wasn't "held."
It was the ghoul's body.
And no human grew a tail as a weapon.
Right then, locked in a deadlock with the two ghouls, Yoru spoke.
"Aim at the koukaku ghoul. Fire."
Asuna understood the prearranged signal instantly. She snapped her aim onto Satoshi—
but she didn't pull the trigger.
Satoshi, however, heard Yoru's order. Afraid the gun contained ghoul-suppression rounds, he reflexively shifted his shield to block the "incoming shot."
Yoru didn't waste the opening.
He pivoted, releasing the force he'd been bracing against. The moment Satoshi's posture broke and his balance slipped, Yoru's freed right hand clenched into a fist—index knuckle subtly protruding—and struck Satoshi straight in the throat.
Even without full power due to angle and position, it landed on the most vulnerable point of the human body.
Satoshi's face twisted in pain. Both hands flew to his neck. He couldn't even scream.
The agony short-circuited his brain.
He collapsed to the ground, choking and spasming.
Now it was one-on-one.
Yoru turned to the remaining ghoul.
He saw the killing intent in its eyes—
and something worse: a twisted, almost delighted madness, like it was enjoying the fight.
The ghoul suddenly realized it was afraid.
It stumbled back a few steps, its thick tail drooping toward the floor.
"D-don't… don't come closer…"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 30
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 30
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