Chapter 60: The Manager’s Glory
“Boom!”
Dust and debris flew as weapons clashed.
On the rooftop of the Bronze Tree stronghold, the four members of CCG were locked in battle with the manager.
Despite being surrounded by four opponents, the manager appeared calm and composed. The kagune on his arms, resembling two massive blue greatswords, danced in an impenetrable defense.
After only a few exchanges, Hirako Jo and Amon were sent flying, collapsing in the distance with multiple soft tissue injuries.
The manager had held back. If he had intended to kill, the two would already be corpses.
“The gap… is too huge.”
Amon sat dejectedly on the ground, watching the manager battle Shinohara Yukinori and the others.
The manager’s strength was far beyond what Shinohara Yukinori and Kuroiwa Iwa could handle.
After a few exchanges, Shinohara and Kuroiwa were sent flying by the manager, tumbling awkwardly across the ground several times.
Shinohara, his entire body aching, sat up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“Iwa, let’s use that.”
“Are we going all out?”
“Marude asked us to stall for five minutes, but we haven’t even lasted three.”
Shinohara Yukinori stared directly at Kuroiwa Iwa.
“I’m in.”
With that, they activated the ‘New’ on their bodies, forcing it into its original form, which resembled kagune even more closely.
The ‘New’ on their bodies surged, beginning to drink their blood.
After activating the ‘New’s original form, it wouldn’t directly devour flesh for the first thirty seconds, only drinking blood. After thirty seconds, the ‘New’ would go berserk, tearing at the user’s flesh.
“Come on, ‘New,’ eat up.”
A few seconds later, Shinohara Yukinori and Kuroiwa Iwa stood up. The armor on their upper bodies had turned blood-red, exuding a maddening and ominous aura.
Their speed and power surged dramatically as they charged toward the manager.
Sensing their change, the manager grew serious, speculating that this was likely a new weapon developed by his ‘old friends.’
“What a reckless feeling.”
Shinohara’s koukaku greatsword swung rapidly, and combined with Kuroiwa’s attacks, they managed to suppress the manager, forcing him onto the defensive.
But it didn’t last long. Within twenty seconds, Shinohara could no longer hold on, staggering back two steps.
“Shinohara.”
Kuroiwa used his koukaku to drive the manager back and ran toward Shinohara.
“The ‘New’s performance is indeed excellent, but the side effects are too severe.”
Shinohara had essentially lost his combat ability, with multiple bite wounds on his upper body from the ‘New.’
Compared to Shinohara, Kuroiwa was in better shape, but his stamina was severely depleted, having lost a significant amount of blood to the ‘New.’
“Not good. This is very bad.”
Hirako Jo’s expression darkened. At this rate, all four of them would die here.
Nearby, Amon leaned against the wall, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
“Don’t give up. Your rescue has arrived.”
Marude Kuri’s voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece, lifting the spirits of the four on the rooftop.
“Bang.”
A steel door at the corner of the rooftop was kicked open from the inside, revealing the kicker’s considerable strength. The door was bent into a U-shape, with a footprint clearly visible at the center.
The door clattered to the ground near the manager, who turned to look into the dark doorway.
A wisp of blue smoke drifted out from the doorway, and a faint spark could be seen within.
“Did the ghouls of Bronze Tree lose their minds? Setting up a stronghold like a maze.”
Su Xiao emerged from the darkness, cigarette in mouth, stepping onto the rooftop. After a frantic run earlier, he had taken a brief rest. If not for the sounds of battle, he would have arrived even later.
The night wind blew, causing his white coat to rustle.
Flicking away the cigarette butt, Su Xiao let out a long breath and walked slowly toward the manager.
Unlike his daughter, Takatsuki Sen, the manager had far richer combat experience.
However, the manager wasn’t without weaknesses. He hadn’t eaten live humans for many years.
This had reduced his Rc cell count, weakening his combat power.
“Are you planning to eat that thing?”
Su Xiao held the Dragon-Slaying Flash, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground.
The kagune on one of the manager’s arms had retracted, and he held a large fragment of ‘New’ in his hand. He had torn it off while fighting Shinohara.
The main material of ‘New’ was the kakuhou of an SSS-ranked ghoul, making its Rc cell content thousands, even tens of thousands of times higher than human flesh.
“Without eating it, I might not be able to fight you.”
As he spoke, the manager’s kakuja shell opened its massive maw and swallowed the large fragment of ‘New’ in one gulp.
No sooner had the manager swallowed the fragment than Su Xiao charged forward.
He had run too fast on the way here and needed a moment to catch his breath after arriving on the rooftop. Otherwise, he would have already clashed with the manager.
The Dragon-Slashing Flash traced a cold gleam as it slashed toward the manager. During the slash, faint blue arcs of electricity appeared on its surface.
Fighting the manager, Su Xiao didn’t dare be careless. He activated Azure Steel Shadow immediately.
The manager raised his arm, and the kagune covering it clashed with the Dragon-Slashing Flash.
“Clang.” A crisp metallic ring.
The hard kagune was chipped by the slash, and Azure Steel Shadow energy surged into the manager’s body.
As his Rc cells burned internally, the manager grunted in pain. But having fought his entire life, this agony, though terrifying, couldn’t hinder him.
“Sharp swordsmanship, but attacks of this level won’t take my life.”
While blocking the Dragon-Slashing Flash, the manager’s other arm, with its blade-like kagune, thrust toward Su Xiao.
The angle of the thrust was extremely tricky. Su Xiao reacted swiftly, ducking just in time. A few strands of black hair drifted down, testament to the sharpness of the manager’s kagune.
Twirling his blade, Su Xiao unleashed a series of slashes, engaging the manager in a direct clash.
In terms of attributes, Su Xiao was slightly inferior to the manager, but his masterful swordsmanship made up for it.
“Clang, clang, clang…”
The long blade and kagune struck rapidly, sparks flying. In a very short time, they exchanged over a dozen moves.
On the rooftop, two figures—one tall, one short—fought fiercely, with four others watching.
“Incredible.”
Amon stared blankly at the scene before him, his heart surging with turmoil.
The man before him might be younger than him, yet he could single-handedly fight the One-Eyed Owl. This contrast left Amon feeling stifled.
“This is why headquarters transferred him to District 24 as a temporary member of Zero Squad.
You probably haven’t seen Bai Ye drive out the ghouls in District 14.”
Shinohara sat on the ground, covered in blood, watching the battle intently.
“Shinohara, should I go help?”
Kuroiwa, less injured and still having some stamina after activating the ‘New’s original form, asked.
“No. We might interfere with his fight if we go in.”
The four fell silent, continuing to watch from their positions.
Inside the command vehicle, Marude Kuri was watching the screen with a smile.
“As expected, transferring you here was the right choice.”
With that thought, he sat down relaxed.
On the rooftop, the battle between Su Xiao and the manager had reached a fever pitch.
The manager gave Su Xiao the feeling of growing stronger as the fight progressed. This wasn’t an illusion; it was due to the fragment of ‘New’ he had consumed.
The manager’s Rc cell count was skyrocketing, and even his kakuja shell was gradually strengthening.
The manager had grown from his original height of about two and a half meters to a staggering three meters, his kagune gleaming with a blood-red luster.
The manager had regained some of his youthful glory, no longer the old man who had been cut down by a few special-class investigators.
“Bang.”
Su Xiao kicked the manager’s side, sending him stumbling back a few steps, but he suffered no injury.
The intense battle left Su Xiao slightly winded, and the manager was no better off. The kagune on his arms was riddled with cuts and gouges, with holes in some places.
“Truly… an exhilarating strong enemy.”
Failing to break through quickly didn’t discourage Su Xiao; instead, it ignited his fighting spirit. It had been a long time since he faced such a formidable opponent.
Unlike his fight with Nicole, this was real combat. That other fight had only been tedious.
“Let’s continue.”