The ghoul disguised as a hostess froze.
She genuinely had no idea what to do next.
That cute girl with the flaxen hair looked human, but the way she arrived wasn't anything a normal human should be able to pull off. Was that metal longsword some kind of ukaku-made Quinque?
And what the hell was this guy in the black tracksuit? He felt like the kind of ghoul who enjoyed eating his own kind—yet he was moving together with that human girl.
What is even happening!?
"S-Save… save me…"
The drunk man croaked out a plea for help.
Hojo Yoru didn't even blink.
"Can't save you at all. Not my problem."
Asuna's eyes showed a trace of pity. Her moral compass was strong—watching an innocent person die right in front of her, even if this drunk didn't exactly look sympathetic, still made her want to save him.
But wanting to save him didn't mean she'd disobey.
If she rushed in emotionally, she'd only make it harder to save anyone.
Whether Hojo was putting on an act or truly didn't care about the man's life… his attitude had one clear effect: it threw the ghoul off balance. For a moment, she couldn't decide whether she should actually kill her hostage.
"What are you two, exactly?"
Hojo answered flatly.
"Don't feel like explaining. You're not worth hearing it. Die."
The moment those words dropped, his body blurred.
His right hand formed into a claw—he didn't even try to avoid the drunk man. It looked like he intended to punch straight through the hostage and hit the female ghoul hiding behind him, with zero hesitation.
"So fast—!"
The female ghoul reacted on instinct, releasing the man's throat. Two butterfly-like glowing wings burst from her back—ukaku. She shot backward, opening distance.
Hojo didn't hesitate. He seized the drunk man by the collar and threw him several meters away with one hand.
He'd clearly held back—yet he also clearly didn't care if the guy got hurt on landing.
Hesitation meant defeat.
Most investigators who died in the field died for one reason: they tried to have it both ways—kill the ghoul and protect the hostage—so their decisions slowed, their movements hesitated.
Hojo Yoru didn't hesitate.
Seeing the ukaku ghoul turn to flee, he reached up and grabbed one wing, yanking her down out of midair. Then, with brute force, he tore off the left half of her ukaku.
"AAAAAH!! IT HURTS!!"
The pain of being forcibly ripped apart made her scream so violently it was almost inhuman. For an ordinary human body comparison, it was like getting every fingernail ripped out in a single instant.
Hearing her wail, Hojo only sighed, looking mildly annoyed.
"Seriously… why are you screaming so loud? Anyone hearing that would think I'm doing something really cruel to you."
Asuna stared, shaken.
Still you.
Ripping off someone's kagune wasn't cruel enough?
"Your turn."
Hojo didn't finish her. Instead, he stepped back and looked at the ghoul—now struggling upright, unable to fly with only one wing.
With a light smile, he said:
"If you can beat my partner, I'll let you go."
"Y-You… you're serious?"
The female ghoul's red kakugan locked onto Asuna. She could tell instantly: this girl was nowhere near as strong as Hojo. She looked tense, cautious.
The ghoul didn't believe Hojo would truly spare her, but…
If she could stall for time, maybe her "master" would arrive. Then they could kill these two humans—and that alcohol-soaked trash meat she'd grabbed could at least be the appetizer.
"Then die!"
She launched.
Even missing half her kagune, as an ukaku-type her speed was still terrifying. In less than two seconds, she went from stillness to full acceleration, crossing over ten meters as she lunged at Asuna.
And then, mid-charge, a flicker of regret:
Did I go too hard?
If she wanted to stall, she shouldn't kill the girl instantly. She needed to fake a drawn-out fight—because the moment the girl died, Hojo would kill her next.
Right as that thought formed—
Asuna spoke softly, almost disappointed.
"So slow…"
At the same instant, the sword floating beside her carved a streak of afterimage through the air.
The ukaku ghoul twisted desperately, but it was too late—her abdomen was split open by a deep slash.
"How… is that possible…"
She retreated several meters, staring at Asuna and that "Quinque," her face filled with disbelief.
This human girl could see her movements?
And she'd even said—
So slow?
Ukaku were built around speed and agility. And a mere human was calling her slow?
But Asuna was even more stunned than the ghoul.
One thought dominated her mind:
…Were ghouls always this slow?
Since awakening the Throne of Swords, Asuna's only opponent had been Hojo Yoru.
In training, she could barely track him—her sword couldn't keep up. Even if she blocked a few times, Hojo never gave her room to breathe; he'd simply slip past the blade and strike her directly.
All this time, she thought she was weak—too slow, too clumsy.
But today, fighting a ghoul for the first time, she finally realized:
It wasn't that she was bad.
It was that Tokyo's strongest devil hunter was absurd.
What she thought was a beginner tutorial…
was actually weighted training.
"Damn human… how dare you—"
The ukaku ghoul tried to lunge again.
And then Asuna calmly pulled out another weapon—black, heavy, gleaming coldly with menace.
A handgun.
"...A gun?"
The ukaku ghoul went completely blank the moment the muzzle pointed at her.
Who would've imagined a beautiful girl fighting with a sword—so elegant she looked like some sword-immortal—would suddenly whip out a gun?
Wasn't this what rookie investigators used?
If she already had a Quinque, why would she still pull a gun?
Despicable humans—no honor at all!
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 135)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter67)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter85)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 60
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 65
From Junkman to Wasteland 50
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 35
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 40
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 37
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