One-Eyed King

Mado Akira stopped in her tracks. The inhuman roar coming from behind—from the direction where Chen Nuo was—made her heart tremble.

But she knew better than anyone that now was not the time to look back; she could only continue to quicken her pace.

Finally, at the next corner, Mado Akira found Mado Kureo and the other who had just finished their battle.

"Why are you alone? Where is Chen Nuo, Investigator First Class?"

Mado Kureo's expression changed slightly as a grim suspicion flickered in his mind, and indeed, Mado Akira's next words confirmed his fears.

"Nuo was ambushed by Aogiri Tree executives. This is a trap they set. We must notify the others and evacuate immediately!"

"A trap? Just as I thought."

Mado Kureo had long had a premonition about this, not just because the communications were cut, but also because of his sharp intuition.

The resistance of these Ghouls was too weak; it didn't look like they were ready to fight to the death against the CCG, even though this was their headquarters.

But it was already too late to say this now.

The CCG's main force had already penetrated deep into the heart of the Aogiri Tree's base. Not only could they not be contacted, but even if they could, it would be difficult for the main force to leave in time.

Sure enough, at that moment, deafening explosions rang out one after another.

Even though the building where Mado Akira and the others were located was not in the center of the explosion, they could still clearly feel the structure shaking. Once the surrounding buildings collapsed, this place would inevitably be affected.

"These Ghouls?!"

Mado Kureo's expression twisted. What he hadn't expected was that the Aogiri Tree could pull off such a large-scale operation; where on earth did they gather so many explosives?

However, now was not the time to consider that.

The ceiling above, which was constantly cracking, was issuing a warning; this building was also about to become unsustainable.

"Go! Evacuate this place!"

Mado Kureo grabbed Mado Akira's wrist to prevent her from doing anything foolish and dragged her out through the window, with Koutarou Amon following closely behind.

Before they could run very far, the building behind them collapsed with a thunderous roar.

"Nuo!!"

Mado Akira struggled to throw off Mado Kureo's hand, but the rolling thick smoke kicked up by the building's collapse had completely blocked her vision, making it impossible to see the situation clearly.

She could only hear the constant sound of building materials collapsing and breaking, along with the wails of CCG combat personnel.

The trap set by the Aogiri Tree was too lethal; at least half of the combat personnel were buried in the ruins.

Inside the command vehicle, Shou Maruzai could no longer control his emotions as he heard the continuous wails in his headset, slamming his fist down in fury.

He knew by now that this operation was a total failure and immediately issued new orders.

"Rescue the wounded..."

However, the battle in another location had only just begun.

Having transformed into the One-Eyed King, Eto Yoshimura had almost completely lost her human form. Standing over three meters tall in both height and length, she had become a massive monster.

In the years since the Owl had vanished, Eto Yoshimura's strength had grown significantly, as could be seen from her size alone.

If the Yoshimura father and daughter were to stand together now, the CCG would certainly no longer mistake them for the same Ghoul; the difference in size was simply too great, and they would likely even mistake their generational relationship.

It wasn't just her appearance that had changed drastically; even Eto Yoshimura's temperament seemed to have shifted.

Through that window to the soul—that crimson one eye.

All Chen Nuo could glimpse was bloodlust and tyranny.

However, unlike Tatara's Kakuja form, this single eye did not lack a sufficient amount of rationality.

The One-Eyed King was on all fours, her body pressed low and crawling, like a beast ready to begin its hunt at any moment.

The One-Eyed King grinned with her lipless mouth, a long, thin, crimson tongue flicking out from within to catch Chen Nuo's scent in the air. She couldn't help but let out an excited, sharp laugh.

"Hehehe... What an alluring scent. I must savor your taste very carefully."

"Then you'd better change back to your original appearance. Your current look really doesn't pique my interest."

Hearing this, Chen Nuo couldn't help but think of that little glutton, Rize Kamishiro. She indeed tasted things very carefully, often reluctant to swallow.

The One-Eyed King's vivid single eye blinked, a flicker of confusion inadvertently passing through it. What did this have to do with her form or appearance? Clearly, she was the one eating him; why did he need to be interested?

Eto Yoshimura, who seemed like an experienced flirt, was actually quite innocent when it came to matters between men and women.

Only later, when she recalled what Chen Nuo said today, would she understand the meaning behind it—that she really did need to return to her human form.

But at this moment, the One-Eyed King only thought of taking Chen Nuo into her mouth—literally eating him.

She had never smelled such an alluring scent before.

The scent emanating from Chen Nuo's body made the rc cells throughout the One-Eyed King's body become active, constantly urging her to act.

The One-Eyed King exhaled a breath of red mist, and the Ukaku behind her transformed into blood-red blades that shot out. Compared to her Ukaku, others' were truly as light and small as feathers.

These Ukaku crystals, nearly a meter in length, possessed terrifying piercing power, easily penetrating reinforced concrete. Their power was comparable to many large-caliber sniper rifles.

However, facing the One-Eyed King's sudden attack, Chen Nuo simply stood his ground and violently swung his arm, shattering all the incoming Ukaku crystals.

Looking at the few shallow scratches left on his forearm, Chen Nuo couldn't help but nod in praise.

"As expected of the Owl, you were actually able to wound me."

"..."

The One-Eyed King couldn't help but tilt her head, her central eye rolling slightly as she stared at Chen Nuo's forearm. In the blink of an eye, the already tiny wounds had all healed completely.

The skin was as smooth as if nothing had happened.

Not even a single drop of blood had time to fall, yet he called this 'wounding' him? His sincere tone almost made one believe it.

The One-Eyed King silently retracted her tongue and closed her jaw.

Although the Ukaku just now wasn't her strongest means of attack, it was enough to test the situation. With the defensive power and self-healing ability Chen Nuo displayed, it would be difficult for her to cause him fatal damage.

Even though she realized this, the One-Eyed King had no intention of giving up the fight. She was still trying to find a weakness in Chen Nuo, moving rapidly around his body.

Despite her size, the One-Eyed King moved at an astonishing speed. To an ordinary person, she might only leave a faint afterimage on the retina.

After all, she was a Ghoul with an Ukaku, and speed was her forte. One could even say that transforming into the One-Eyed King form actually reduced Eto Yoshimura's speed in exchange for even greater power and defense.

If she were in her human form, her movement speed could truly be described as ghostly.

Chen Nuo's pupils moved with the One-Eyed King, his gaze always focused on her. No matter how the One-Eyed King tried, she couldn't escape his sight.

So, the One-Eyed King simply charged straight at Chen Nuo.

Just as she was about to reach him, she suddenly burst forward. Her lower body seemed to be equipped with a propulsion device, emitting a powerful blast of air that instantly increased her speed by a level.

Long, sharp claws attacked from both sides simultaneously, pulling him into a fervent embrace.

"Got you."

The One-Eyed King let out a triumphant, sharp laugh, clutching Chen Nuo tightly to her chest.

At the same time, arms made of Kagune extending from her shoulders coordinated to launch an attack.

The greatest enhancement for Eto Yoshimura in her Kakuja form was her close-combat ability. Her entire body was encased in metal-like Kagune, sufficient to withstand most attacks.

The four extra Kagune arms she had extended were far more powerful and terrifying than the Ukaku she shot out.

However, in the next second, Chen Nuo's arms suddenly exerted force, snapping the One-Eyed King's arms directly, followed by a straight punch.

A Serious Punch.

The One-Eyed King's upper body exploded open.

Revealing Eto Yoshimura inside. Just as a look of terror began to surface on her face, Chen Nuo grabbed her throat with one hand, pulled her close, and said calmly,

"No, I've got you."

If he hadn't created such an opportunity, it would have been truly difficult for Chen Nuo to restrain Eto Yoshimura. If she had decided to turn and fly away, he might not have been able to catch her.

Chen Nuo was powerful, but he couldn't fly.

Eto Yoshimura was still trying to resist, her Kagune constantly surging and restructuring, but with just a little force, Chen Nuo yanked her out of the Kagune shell like pulling a radish.

Eto Yoshimura still wanted to struggle. Her Ukaku unfurled, instantly shooting out hundreds of Kagune shards that landed on Chen Nuo, creating a series of dense, crisp impacts.

Unmoved, Chen Nuo pinned her directly to the ground and clenched his fist once more.

Another Serious Punch.

"BOOM—!!"

The rooftop instantly collapsed and shattered, and the resulting shockwave swept away the dust and smoke for a hundred meters around.

Eto Yoshimura stared blankly at the bright moon in the sky.

Her body hadn't sustained any damage; Chen Nuo's punch had only grazed the tips of her hair, but the impact of death had caused a massive shock to her soul that she couldn't calm down for a long time.

"To think the renowned One-Eyed Owl is actually such a cute girl."

Chen Nuo used his hand to brush aside Eto Yoshimura's fluffy, thick, dark green hair, revealing her delicate face.

At this moment, the scattered bandages could no longer hide the girl's curvaceous figure.

It was hard for anyone to associate this petite, elegant girl with the One-Eyed Owl; the contrast was simply too great. Even the CCG had always assumed the One-Eyed Owl was a male Ghoul.

This judgment wasn't wrong, because for a long time, the one acting outside in Eto Yoshimura's stead was The Manager.

"...Thank you for the compliment."

Eto Yoshimura didn't have the slightest awareness of being a prisoner. Having regained her senses, she forced a casual smile onto her face in response.

Chen Nuo let go, picked up the red cloak from the ground, and tossed it to Eto Yoshimura. She said thank you, picked it up, and put it on, covering most of her exposed skin.

"The victory is decided. Welcome to my laboratory."

As Chen Nuo spoke, he reached out his hand.

Eto Yoshimura hesitated for a moment before gently taking it.

She didn't know what kind of fate she would face next, but the loser has no right to refuse.

Eto Yoshimura knew clearly that the path she had chosen could no longer continue the moment Chen Nuo appeared.

Between the future of Ghouls and humans, there can only be one.

With Chen Nuo blocking the way, how could anyone else get around him?

Entrusting hope to others was indeed a bit weak, but it wasn't like she had a choice; she could only take it one step at a time.

"I hope you don't disappoint me, otherwise I'll find an opportunity to eat you."

"You want to eat me? Just make an appointment."

Chen Nuo winked at Eto Yoshimura.

There was a big difference between 'eating' and 'eating.' The current Eto Yoshimura couldn't grasp it yet and could only respond with a puzzled look.

At that moment, Noro found the two in the ruins, and arriving with him were The Manager and the others.

The latter's arrival was something Chen Nuo had notified them of in advance.

"I'll leave the cleanup work to you all,"

Chen Nuo said to The Manager. The latter looked at his daughter shaking hands with Chen Nuo and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

He could guess the development of events without having to see them with his own eyes.

However, this couldn't be said to be a bad thing.

Although he wasn't clear about Eto Yoshimura's long-term plans, it seemed that the future led by Chen Nuo was more hopeful and more grounded.

"Papa~"

Eto Yoshimura called out.

The voice was sweet, but no emotion could be heard in it.

After all, when she was very young, The Manager had handed her over to Noro to be raised; the relationship between father and daughter could hardly be called good.

"Papa?! Manager, since when did you have a daughter?"

Koma Enji shouted in disbelief, gesticulating like a wild monkey.

The other shop staff felt the same way, but they were much calmer in their expression.

"Ayato, are you okay?"

Touka Kirishima's voice came from the side. She noticed Kirishima Ayato's injuries and hurried forward to check on him.

"None of your business! What are you doing here?!"

Kirishima Ayato was incredibly nervous; he could no longer understand the way the situation was developing.

Whose people were this sudden group of Ghouls?

Kirishima Ayato, who had been beaten up all night, really couldn't figure it out, but no one except Touka Kirishima paid him any mind anyway.

"Understood, we will handle it properly."

The Manager understood Chen Nuo's temperament and knew what to do.

In short, don't cause any more trouble.

"Then I'll be going now. If I don't go back soon, the CCG might have my obituary written already."

Chen Nuo said as he walked out. Having exerted himself for a while, his body was covered in a light sweat, and now, reflected by the moonlight, he looked like a Greek god of physique.

Those distinct, glistening muscle lines on his upper body perfectly illustrated what was called the golden ratio.

*Gulp*

The sound of someone swallowing saliva rang out.

Chen Nuo expressionlessly turned his head to look at Koma Enji and sent him flying with a single punch.

Dammit, you're lusting after my body too?!