Yoshimura Aite

High damage from the left fist, high damage from the right fist.

Weaving basic attacks between skills, combining awareness with technique.

Chen Nuo perfectly interpreted these two mottos with his actions; with just two jabs, Tatara was beaten out of human shape.

If not for the Ghoul's tough body and powerful self-healing ability, he probably would have been gone by now.

Even after taking two heavy punches and having his consciousness blurred, Tatara's bodily instincts still drove him to make the correct reaction, as his long and large Bikaku tightly wound around Chen Nuo's body.

Kirishima Ayato took this opportunity to unfold his Ukaku and fire off a barrage of sharp Kagune.

However, only a series of crisp "ding-ding" sounds were heard.

The dagger-shaped Kagune fell onto Chen Nuo's body and instantly shattered and vanished. Kirishima Ayato's full-power attack, aside from tearing the CCG uniform, couldn't even leave a single mark.

"What the hell is this guy?"

Seeing this, Kirishima Ayato couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Who exactly was the Ghoul here? Why did this Investigator look even more non-human than they did?

Setting aside the strength for a moment, how was his defense so terrifying? Was it metal alloy or flesh and blood covered under that tactical suit?

Chen Nuo ignored the buzzing "mosquito" behind him for the time being. He grabbed the Bikaku on his body, applied a bit of force, and tore it into several pieces before slamming his hand onto Tatara's severely deformed face.

Following that, the sound of slight bone fractures continuously emanated from between his fingers.

Tatara found the pressure unbearable and groaned in pain, his limbs struggling incessantly. His Bikaku reformed and its sharp tip pierced toward Chen Nuo's torso.

However, like an egg hitting a rock, the Bikaku couldn't withstand the impact and more than half of it shattered directly.

The threat of death completely enveloped Tatara.

Only now did he realize that Chen Nuo letting Mado Akira leave wasn't to call for backup, but simply to make it easier for him to act.

However, there was no time to think too much now. If he didn't fight for his life, his life would truly be lost here.

A large amount of Kagune surged out of Tatara's body and transformed in the blink of an eye, covering him like exoskeleton armor.

Unlike Yakumo Oomori's half-baked Kakuja form, Tatara's current transformation was that of a true Kakuja, with almost his entire body shrouded under the protection of the Kagune.

It was even about to envelop Chen Nuo's arm.

Yet at the same time, the rationality in Tatara's eyes was rapidly swallowed by madness.

Clearly, he had not yet fully mastered his Kakuja form.

"Die, die, die, die—!!"

Tatara let out a beastly roar and raised his arm. A giant barrel formed by Kagune underneath pointed at Chen Nuo, and a terrifying energy was rapidly brewing.

"Not good!"

Kirishima Ayato realized the danger upon seeing this.

Clearly, a Tatara who had lost control wouldn't care if there were allies nearby.

The reaction of Transvestite Nick on the side was even faster; he was the first to jump out of the corridor, carrying the heavily injured Yakumo Oomori. Seeing this, Kirishima Ayato followed behind him.

In an instant, a scorching heat wave erupted from the barrel-like opening of Tatara's Kagune, and the powerful shockwave instantly shattered the windows of the entire floor.

Under the high temperature of over a thousand degrees, the concrete seemed like a candle, showing signs of softening.

If it lasted any longer, it wouldn't just be a sign.

However, Chen Nuo, who took the hit head-on, still stood straight in place. Aside from his clothes, he looked like he was perfectly fine, staring indifferently at Tatara.

Under such pressure, even Tatara, in his Kakuja form, regained a bit of sanity under the influence of his survival instinct.

Unfortunately, this couldn't change anything. Chen Nuo lifted his head high, remaining unmoved no matter how he struggled or resisted, and then slammed it down violently.

For a moment, the air seemed to be compressed into a solid substance.

The reinforced concrete, dozens of centimeters thick, was like a brittle wafer at this moment. The sound of explosions almost merged into one as Tatara sank into the bottom floor of the building in an instant.

Although the Kakuja armor saved Tatara's life, his body had collapsed into a heap under such an impact, as if he had become a mollusk.

But there was no need to worry; for a Ghoul of Tatara's level, wanting to die was not an easy thing.

Chen Nuo tore off the upper-body clothing that was about to burn to ash, revealing a body carved like a knife. He turned his head to look at Kirishima Ayato and the others on the rooftop, smiling slightly to reveal two rows of white, neat teeth.

This scared Kirishima Ayato so much his heart almost stopped.

Don't be fooled by this kid's decent appearance; it's all an act. In essence, he's just a rebellious chuunibyou teen.

"What a strong man..."

Transvestite Nick's sudden comment made Kirishima Ayato's head spin. "Sister, he's about to come up and kill us, and you're here in heat?"

"Hey, your drool is about to drip, wipe it quickly!"

It wasn't that Transvestite Nick's will wasn't firm enough, but the sensory impact brought by Chen Nuo's body was too intense, truly making him unable to help himself.

If he were to be punched to death by Chen Nuo, it seemed like it wouldn't be something hard to accept.

Just thinking about that kind of impact made Transvestite Nick's body tremble with excitement.

"..."

Chen Nuo looked at Transvestite Nick, and his eyes couldn't help but twitch. This guy was truly a bit disgusting; a pure straight man like himself was somewhat countered by this.

Fortunately, the counter in terms of gender attributes was far from enough to bridge the gap in their strength.

Chen Nuo glanced at the quinque left behind by Kirishima Ayato on the floor. He stepped forward and lifted it with his toe, and the hilt returned to his palm.

Such an obvious signal of attack immediately made Kirishima Ayato instinctively tense his body, ready to dodge at any moment.

However, in the next second, a warm liquid splashed onto his face.

Kirishima Ayato subconsciously turned his head and saw that Transvestite Nick's head had completed its separation from his neck.

A large amount of blood gushed out like a fountain, making a terrifying "hissing" sound.

Before Kirishima Ayato's brain could react, a hand was placed on his shoulder, followed by a blade at his throat. The bone-chilling light from the blade pierced into his marrow.

Kirishima Ayato had never smelled the scent of death so clearly as he did at this moment.

"Your eyes, hair color, and this Ukaku... they all seem very familiar to me."

Chen Nuo's low voice rang out, causing Kirishima Ayato's heart to stop for a moment.

"Let me think... oh right, there was also a guy wearing a similar rabbit mask who attacked me before. Do you want to know her end?"

Chen Nuo made an expression of sudden realization, the smile at the corner of his mouth a bit playful.

"What did you do to her?!"

The worry for his sister instantly outweighed the fear of death. Kirishima Ayato struggled to resist and questioned angrily.

His Ukaku unfolded, striking down like an axe blade.

However, Chen Nuo's quinque pierced through his kakuho first, pinning him to the concrete floor of the rooftop.

Despite suffering such a heavy blow, Kirishima Ayato still tried his best to lift his head, staring dead at Chen Nuo and asking with a raspy voice.

"Answer me!!"

"What did I do?"

Chen Nuo rubbed his chin, seemingly lost in memory, and only after a while did he continue to speak.

"Serving tea, doing laundry, cooking, making the bed and warming it up..."

"??"

Kirishima Ayato's originally desperate expression froze. He was already prepared to hear news of his sister's death from Chen Nuo's mouth and was ready to reunite on the road to the underworld.

As a result, hearing such a statement made his brain lag for a moment, not knowing how to respond. It took a while before he spoke up to interrupt.

"Wait, you didn't kill her?"

"Such a pretty little sister, it would be a waste to kill her. I'll just have her serve me for the rest of her life for her mistakes."

"..."

Hearing this, Kirishima Ayato suddenly felt that his sister might as well have just died; it would probably be easier that way.

"Alright, if there's nothing else to ask, I'll send you on your way."

Chen Nuo reached out to grab the hilt, about to take action, when Kirishima Ayato's survival instinct surged again.

Damn it, he couldn't die yet, at least not until he rescued his sister from Chen Nuo's clutches. He hurriedly spoke.

"Wait, I'm her brother, my name is Kirishima Ayato."

"I didn't hear Touka say she had a brother."

Well, he even knew her name. Kirishima Ayato now truly believed Chen Nuo's words and hurriedly took off his mask, revealing a face that bore some resemblance to Touka's.

"I really am her brother."

"Understood. I'll notify Touka about your death later."

Chen Nuo nodded indifferently; scaring kids was truly fun.

However, at that moment, a slender figure landed not far away, her bandage-wrapped toes silently stepping onto the cold mast.

Chen Nuo turned to look. A girl wearing a red cloak, her entire body tightly wrapped in bandages, was quietly watching him.

Arriving with her was also a person who showed no signs of life.

This guy was tall, with a high ponytail and a mask that had a strong visual impact. Lying in his arms was the heavily injured and unconscious Tatara.

"The three executives of Aogiri Tree are finally all here. If you hadn't come, I almost wouldn't have been able to keep playing."

Chen Nuo said in a slightly lighthearted tone.

Nonsense!

You were clearly having a great time just now!!

Kirishima Ayato couldn't help but complain in his heart; as the object being toyed with, he had the most right to speak.

But right now, with Chen Nuo's attention finally shifted away from him, Kirishima Ayato couldn't wait to play dead, so how could he dare to say anything more.

Eto Yoshimura's gaze swept over the heavily injured and unconscious Yakumo Oomori and finally stopped on Chen Nuo, letting out a confused sound.

"Are you really human?"

"What a thing to say. If I'm not human, what else could I be? Could it be I'm a hybrid like you?"

"...You know about me?"

Eto Yoshimura realized more and more that the situation had completely slipped out of her control; the person in front of her was here for her.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

She didn't expect that she would become the mantis.

"I've heard Kuzen the old man talk about it, the One-Eyed Owl. Heh, few people know that there are actually two Owls, and they are father and daughter. By the way, you don't look much like that old man."

Chen Nuo's gaze was exceptionally sharp, as if it could pierce through the bandages on Eto Yoshimura's face to see the true face within.

"Who exactly are you? What do you want?"

Eto Yoshimura asked in a deep voice. At this moment, she had already placed Chen Nuo as her top priority.

"You can call me Nuo. I'm currently working for the CCG. My hobby is researching Ghouls. I now cordially invite you to join my laboratory to serve as a research subject. Salary and benefits are negotiable."

Chen Nuo was quite blunt, making his words crystal clear.

"...Research subject?"

Eto Yoshimura couldn't help but laugh.

People really do react like this when they are truly speechless.

"Don't worry, it's all very formal academic research. Your situation is very special and can be compared to an Artificial Ghoul like Ken Kaneki. You can help me greatly in cracking the genetic secrets of Ghouls. I believe with your help, it won't be long before I complete the mutual transformation between Ghouls and humans."

Chen Nuo didn't mind Eto Yoshimura's attitude and continued to speak to himself. Courtesy before force; it would be best if he could persuade her.

"Artificial Ghoul? Mutual transformation?"

The killing intent surging within Eto Yoshimura was suddenly mostly extinguished. Hasn't she spent her whole life seeking the possibility of coexistence between Ghouls and humans and pushing for the transformation of the world?

If Chen Nuo could really do what he said, wouldn't all of that be easily accomplished?

But can this really be done?

Eto Yoshimura had serious doubts about this. Moreover, she already had her own plans and had been preparing for them all along. How could she be swayed by a few words from Chen Nuo?

Wouldn't that be betraying the partners who had walked with her all this way?

"In that case, why don't you join us? We can also help you realize this wish."

Eto Yoshimura instead extended an invitation to Chen Nuo.

"That won't do. I'm a good guy."

Chen Nuo waved his hand. Regardless of what Eto Yoshimura's ultimate goal was, Aogiri Tree was already no different from a terrorist organization in the hearts of the people, and their actions indeed matched that perception.

This was also why Eto Yoshimura needed to find another new king who could lead the era, rather than herself.

Because before truly waking up, Eto Yoshimura couldn't be associated with being a good person at all, and even now, it was still the case.

She had already written the script for her own end, intending to use her life to lay the bricks for the new king's ascension.

"Then there's no other way."

The bandages on Eto Yoshimura's body slowly drifted up, dancing within the Kagune's wrap like living things. Before one could glimpse the graceful figure within, a hideous, giant monster took its place.

A crimson one eye shone with a dazzling light in the night. The crouching shell faced Chen Nuo and let out a roar that resounded through the clouds.

"Roar—!!"

"Sure enough, in the end, we still have to let our fists do the talking."

Chen Nuo ignored the life pressure venting from the One-Eyed Owl and calmly raised his fist, thinking about what kind of deep impression he should leave on the other party later.

In interactions between men and women, the impression of the first meeting is very important; it largely determines the future development of the relationship.

He was already a bit impatient to make friends with such a beauty.