Eto nodded obediently at his words. "Alright, then we'll check out that big guy tomorrow."
She suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands. "Oh, right. We should find a place for you to stay first."
She led the two through several passages to the residential area within the base reserved for Aogiri executives.
Compared to the laboratory sections, this area felt softer, almost deliberately luxurious.
Eto pushed open a heavy wooden door to reveal a spacious suite, tastefully furnished, with a large floor-to-ceiling window, though outside, it was pitch black, leaving the window's purpose unclear.
"Do you like it?" Eto stepped aside to give them a full view of the room, her tone tinged with a little pride.
Rize surveyed the room, her gaze lingering briefly on the soft bed, lips curling into a small smile. "Yeah, not bad."
Amano Hiro also scanned the space, nodding slightly in approval.
Seeing no objections, Eto's face brightened with an "I get it" smile. She stepped back politely, waving lightly:
"Alright then, I won't disturb the little couple's 'rest.' Bye~"
Before the words had fully left her mouth, she turned gracefully, closing the door and leaving the space entirely to them.
Rize, like a tired bird returning to its nest, hurried over to the plush bed, burying her face in the blankets and letting out a muffled, slightly coquettish sigh:
"Today... I'm really exhausted."
Amano Hiro casually tossed his coat aside and lay down beside her, stretching his long arms to pull her soft body into his embrace.
He lowered his head, letting his nose brush lightly against her hair, inhaling her faint, comforting scent.
"Mm," he murmured, eyes closed, a satisfied exhale escaping his lips. "Quite a lot happened."
The two lay quietly together, saying nothing, letting their fatigue dissolve slowly in each other's warmth.
Only the steady rhythm of their breathing filled the room, intertwining naturally.
After an indeterminate time, Rize shifted slightly, lifting her head from his chest:
"I'm covered in dust and smoke... I'll go take a shower." She tried to rise but suddenly turned back, a mischievous glint in her violet eyes, lips curving teasingly. "Hiro... want to join me?"
Amano Hiro immediately propped himself up, the weariness in his eyes instantly replaced by a burning light. He let out a low laugh, answering without hesitation:
"Do I even need to ask?"
---
The next day, Amano Hiro awoke again at a familiar noon hour.
He glanced at Rize, still asleep, and quietly rose to wash up before slipping out the door.
Passing through the silent corridors of the residential area, he reached the central hall, finding Eto sitting alone on a sofa, holding a thick, ancient-looking book.
Hearing his footsteps, she looked up, her voice beneath the bandages light and cheerful as always. "Good morning, Hiro. How was your rest last night?"
"Not bad," Amano Hiro replied succinctly.
"Now, are you interested in seeing the legendary 'Dragon'?" Eto closed the book, her tone lively and teasing.
"Sure."
"Huh? Not bringing Rize?"
"Let her rest a bit longer."
Eto let out a knowing laugh, her tone suggestive. "Oh~ so Hiro... really is 'strong,' huh?" She deliberately emphasized that word.
Amano Hiro's expression remained unchanged, answering matter-of-factly: "I guess."
"Then let's go, 'strong' sir." Eto stood, her teasing even more pronounced.
Amano Hiro's lips twitched slightly as he thought, these two, Eto and Rize, shared a similar mischief beneath their calm exteriors.
"What about Tatara?" he asked casually.
"Tatara-sama has other matters to attend to," Eto replied as she led the way.
Amano Hiro mentally cursed, wondering if Tatara was still figuring out ways to torment Seidou Takizawa.
They navigated the labyrinthine underground corridors. After countless junctions and spiral staircases, they finally stopped before a massive wall etched with unusual patterns.
"Beyond here lies the real underground world," Eto explained.
Amano Hiro reached out and touched the wall; it was icy and hard, far denser than ordinary rock.
He immediately recognized it, this entire wall was composed of highly condensed, partially crystallized kagune. Though inactive now, it still radiated a residue of immense power.
"Do you know what this is, Hiro?" Eto asked, testing him.
"Just a wall made of kagune," Amano Hiro replied calmly.
"Hmph, nothing gets past you, huh?" Eto chuckled lightly.
Amano Hiro said nothing further. With a thought, his right arm quickly transformed into the dark crimson Carnage form, eventually manifesting a massive, menacing long blade with edges glinting coldly.
He swung his arm, the blade slicing into the wall like a hot knife through butter. He dug in and heaved,
Boom!
A huge breach wide enough for several people to walk side by side was forcibly carved into the wall.
They stepped through the gap, and the scene before them opened up dramatically.
An indescribably vast underground space stretched out, air thick with ancient dust and decay. Dim light filtered weakly from scattered glowing moss along the rocky walls.
Beneath this muted glow, the outline of a ruined city could be discerned.
Collapsed skyscrapers, fractured overpasses, overturned vehicles... all frozen in a moment of destruction, like a post-apocalyptic still frame.
Within this city of deathly silence, a gargantuan creature sprawled.
Its form resembled a super-massive worm, a body continuous like undulating mountains, stretching beyond sight.
It lay dormant, showing no signs of life, seemingly in eternal slumber. The space was suffused with a suffocating stillness.
This was the buried Old Tokyo.
The legendary first One-Eyed King, the source and taboo of the Washuu Clan bloodline: "Dragon."
When it had gone berserk and become the Dragon, it had nearly erased all of Tokyo from the map.
Ultimately, the ruined city was buried whole, forming a hidden underground relic, atop which New Tokyo was built.
Exactly how they managed to sink an entire city underground and rebuild above it was nearly unbelievable, a feat worthy of dominating the world, though this is simply the original setting, likely without deeper consideration by the author.
Before them, the being called the "Dragon," though resembling an enormous brown worm, was awe-inspiring in person in a way no images could convey.
Because it was immense.