As commander of the Grey Straw Suppression Operation, Byakuya was no exception—he was at home preparing his "last testament."
Ding! Host has activated a Choice Mission!
Choice One: Write the "last testament" to Mayu. No half-hearted efforts. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!
Choice Two: Write the "last testament" to Rize Kamishiro. No half-hearted efforts. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!
Choice Three: Write the "last testament" to Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa. No half-hearted efforts. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!
Since last time he'd written to Rize, this time he'd write to Kurona and Nashiro.
The rewards were the same anyway, and it was just casual writing. He could cycle through everyone close to him.
[My family members and colleagues, Rank 2 Investigators Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa. Their physical abilities, determination, and Quinque mastery are all excellent. They're highly suited for First Class Investigator positions. I believe they should be given more combat opportunities alongside Special Class Aura to accumulate achievements.]
[To Kurona Yasuhisa and Nashiro Yasuhisa]
Ding! Host completed Choice Three. Reward: 20 Fusion Points!
Byakuya decided to follow Kureo Mado's example and write his "last testament" as a "recommendation letter." There wasn't much else to write anyway.
He certainly couldn't write about Dr. Kanou's secrets or the truth about the twins' father's death.
After all, there was no guarantee CCG wouldn't peek at his testament.
If they did look, this recommendation letter might actually serve a purpose.
Testament complete, Byakuya sealed it and brought it to CCG the next day.
...
CCG Ward 21 Branch.
Personnel had been allocated according to Commander Byakuya's arrangements—combat team and guard team.
The ratio was unusual. CCG had almost never seen such proportions in an operation of this scale. Simply put: the frontline combat team was far too small.
But considering the commander and combat team's lineup...
First Class Investigator Amaha, who'd repelled the One-Eyed Owl, went without saying. Then there was First Class Investigator Ihei from Squad Zero alongside him, plus Associate Special Class Houji and Takizawa, who'd graduated second in his class.
Just four people, but what a formidable lineup. The guards felt they could relax at the branch.
At this moment, Byakuya led the team out.
Hairu, Houji, and Takizawa flanked him.
Accompanying them was a group of Rank 3 Investigators handling logistics.
Using intelligence from Cochlea, they pinpointed Grey Straw's hideout.
It was just abandoned buildings—houses, factories, underground parking structures. Nothing as troublesome as the underground world of Ward 24.
Arriving at the location, they found a cluster of long-abandoned suburban residences, as expected.
This had somehow become Grey Straw's base.
Byakuya raised his hand, signaling everyone to halt.
"Stay close to me. Don't spread out. Even if some ghouls escape, ignore them. The priority is crushing this organization."
Byakuya emphasized to everyone.
Given his personnel allocation, only four people had real combat capability—and Takizawa was questionable. Splitting up risked casualties.
Avoiding casualties absolutely took priority over catching every last ghoul.
He'd focus on all A-rated and above ghouls. If a few B-rated ones escaped, no big deal—they'd be caught eventually.
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone acknowledged.
"Move out."
Byakuya spoke two words flatly. The Grey Straw Suppression Operation officially began!
All logistics personnel followed closely. They carried firearms loaded with specialized Q-bullets, providing fire support from the rear.
The Grey Straw ghouls seemed prepared. Even seeing numerous investigators didn't faze them.
"This few? Are they underestimating us?"
"Did they figure out our plan? Knowing we'd ambush CCG, so they left most Doves there?"
"It doesn't matter now. If we can kill these Doves here, we can take their weapons too."
"..."
Grey Straw's ghouls weren't stupid. They knew some of their members had been captured and sent to Cochlea. Intelligence getting extracted was only a matter of time.
So they'd prepared defenses early and sent a team to ambush CCG.
"It's time. Everyone together—devour those Doves!"
At one ghoul's signal, masses of ghouls poured from the abandoned buildings.
At a glance, the ghouls clearly outnumbered the investigators. Grey Straw appeared to hold the obvious advantage.
However...
Houji already held his S+-rated Ukaku Quinque "Hollow" in hand—a cannon-shaped weapon. A single devastating blast instantly killed the ghoul charging at the front.
But this didn't deter the others. They attacked even more ferociously.
"Support team, stand by!"
Just then, Byakuya ordered the logistics personnel to hold.
He'd noticed fewer ghouls than expected. Their combat team's strength was more than sufficient.
The logistics personnel were confused but obeyed, ready to provide fire support only if the four vanguards faced danger. Random shooting might interfere with or even accidentally hit the frontline fighters.
"Takizawa, watch my movements. Don't stray too far from me."
Houji reminded his partner.
"Right!"
Takizawa nodded solemnly.
He'd always wanted combat experience, but actually facing this many ghouls made him nervous. His hands trembled slightly around his Ukaku Quinque "Douhi," and he struggled to control his emotions and stay calm.
"Amaha-senpai, this time I'm going to beat you."
Even now, Hairu found time to say this to Byakuya.
"Good luck with that."
Byakuya replied casually.
He wasn't about to go easy on a cute junior. He needed Fusion Points and achievements. Reaching Associate Special Class quickly and gaining more points were the priorities.
...
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