Chapter 58: Sudden Appearance
After a series of battles, Su Xiao felt slightly fatigued. He simply jumped onto a concrete beam to rest temporarily. Being at a higher position reduced the chance of being discovered, preventing ambushes.
Wiping the bloodstains from his hands, Su Xiao lit a cigarette and sat on the beam suspended three meters high, resting with his longsword in hand.
But before five minutes had passed, hurried footsteps sounded. The ghouls from the Bronze Tree had come again.
Su Xiao sighed helplessly and jumped down from the beam.
"This road is blocked."
Having said that, Su Xiao charged toward those terrified ghouls.
...
Beneath the Bronze Tree stronghold, three people were hiding there: the manager of the 20th Ward, Yoshimura; the Black Doberman, Irimi Kaya; and the adorable little girl, Kirishima Hinami.
"Kaya, what's the CCG's movements?"
The manager spoke, currently wearing Bronze Tree attire.
"The CCG has split into four teams. Three are assault forces, and one is responsible for rear-guard action. That rear-guard team... no, it's not even a team. It's just one person.
That person has sealed off the back door. So far, only one Bronze Tree member has passed through the back door; all others have been eliminated.
The current situation favors the CCG."
After hearing Irimi Kaya's response, the manager fell silent for a moment.
"One person guarding the back door? Is that person human?"
Irimi Kaya looked at the manager in surprise.
"Of course they're human. How could there be ghouls in the CCG?"
The manager gave a bitter smile. Of course there were ghouls in the CCG, but there were some things he couldn't say. Those matters were too dangerous.
"If it's a human, then it can only be one of two people. It seems a 'Death God' has arrived. I wonder if it's the black or the white one.
The white one can still be negotiated with, but if it's the black one, we'll have to fight for our lives."
The manager stood up, his red eyes appearing.
"There's no choice. We need to buy some time for Touka and the others. Kaya, take Hinami and leave first. Also, inform Touka and the rest that if they can't rescue Kaneki within ten minutes, they should prepare to retreat."
Watching the manager walk into the distance, Irimi Kaya's lips parted. She wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.
"Sister Kaya, will the manager be in danger?"
Hinami's small face was grim, her eyes filled with worry as she watched the departing manager.
"No, he won't. The manager is very strong."
Irimi Kaya patted Hinami's head, forcing a smile.
In the CCG, being crowned with the title of Death God basically meant being able to single-handedly expel SSS-class ghouls. How could Irimi Kaya not worry about the manager's safety?
If not for the manager, Irimi Kaya would still be a mad 'wild dog,' preying on humans everywhere. The manager had redeemed her from being a ghoul into being a 'person.'
What worried Irimi Kaya even more was that the manager hadn't eaten fresh human flesh for a long time, causing his Rc cell concentration to drop.
"Hinami is scared. Over there, it feels like there's a very dangerous person."
Hinami pointed a slender finger in a certain direction—the direction where Su Xiao was located.
...
At that moment, the main frontal battlefield was already in full swing. CCG investigators and Bronze Tree ghouls were fiercely fighting inside this abandoned building.
In a messy corridor, Amon Koutarou was gripping two long-handled broadswords, breathing heavily.
Before him lay two corpses—S-class ghouls, the Bin Brothers.
"Mr. Mado was right. Never give up until the very last moment. Before I avenge you, I will never die."
Just as Amon was about to rest for a while before finding the main force, he suddenly heard a strange sound.
Looking up, Amon saw a black shadow fly past the window, heading straight for the rooftop. The shadow was vaguely humanoid but abnormally large, at least two and a half to three meters tall.
"What is that?"
A bad premonition suddenly struck Amon.
...
After a grueling battle, the CCG main force finally cleared out most of the Bronze Tree ghouls.
This boosted the morale of the CCG investigators. Led by two Special Class Investigators, Shinohara Yukinori and Kuroiwa Iwao, the CCG main force charged up to the rooftop.
According to previous thermal imaging observations, a large number of ghouls had gathered on the rooftop.
But when Shinohara Yukinori led his men to the rooftop, it was completely empty. There wasn't even a shadow.
"This is Shinohara. We've reached the rooftop, but those Bronze Tree guys don't seem to be here. It feels a bit strange."
Shinohara Yukinori reported the situation to Marude Itsuki.
Inside the command vehicle, a smile appeared on Marude Itsuki's lips. He had received a report earlier that many hidden explosive points had been discovered inside the Bronze Tree stronghold, and those points had already been dismantled.
"This time, it's those Bronze Tree guys playing 'small tricks.' If no one's there, fine. Prepare to withdraw. This wasn't a full-scale battle at all; it was just bait set by their subordinates."
Marude Itsuki explained the situation to Shinohara Yukinori through his Bluetooth headset.
And that was indeed the case. The Bronze Tree had never intended to engage in a full-scale war with the CCG.
To be precise, the Bronze Tree didn't have the capital to fight the CCG. The CCG was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
"Then let's withdraw. We've expelled quite a few ghouls this time. More importantly, we've retaken the 11th Ward."
As he said this, a look of joy appeared on Shinohara Yukinori's face.
"Mr. Shinohara."
Amon Koutarou had somehow arrived on the rooftop.
"Amon, you're alright."
Shinohara Yukinori looked at Amon with concern. The two had a good relationship.
"Mr. Shinohara, I think I just saw..."
"Boom!"
Before Amon Koutarou could finish his sentence, a loud crash rang out. A massive object smashed onto the rooftop.
"Hm?"
Shinohara Yukinori and the others turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.
"What's going on?"
Inside the command vehicle, Marude Itsuki saw through the display screen that an 'object' had landed on the rooftop.
After Marude Itsuki's question, there was a long silence.
"Maru, it's that thing. The One-Eyed Owl."
Shinohara Yukinori's voice was low.
Through the green fluorescent screen before him, Marude Itsuki also clearly saw the scene on the rooftop.
Marude Itsuki shed his usual slovenly demeanor, pressing one hand to his earpiece, his gaze exceptionally cold.
"Shinohara, keep only those elite personnel who are willing to die by your side. Anyone else, even if they waste their lives, won't buy us enough time.
Fight him with the fewest people, the most elite personnel. Buy me five minutes. Over."
Marude Itsuki immediately switched channels to contact Su Xiao.
"Bai Ye, are you still at the back door?"
The voice in the earpiece was very noisy.
"I am, but I'm quite busy right now."
Su Xiao dodged an incoming kagune and slashed its owner down with one stroke.
"Forget about the back door. We need support on the rooftop. The One-Eyed Owl has appeared. Shinohara and the others are preparing to engage, but they might not be a match."
Su Xiao, who was in the middle of fighting over a dozen ghouls, stopped in his tracks.
Those ghouls looked at Su Xiao in terror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Some, with severed limbs, lay on the ground wailing.
"Understood. I'll get to the rooftop as soon as possible."
"I'm counting on you."
The call ended. Su Xiao bent down, tore off a strip of cloth, and wiped down the Dragon-Slaying Flash.
"Get out of my sight within ten seconds."
Hearing Su Xiao's words, those dozen or so ghouls scattered like birds and beasts. They had originally had over thirty companions, but now only fourteen remained.
After confirming the direction, Su Xiao began making his way toward the rooftop.