Ever since Kaiko and Arima Kishou failed in their last attempt, the situation had already begun to slip out of control.
On top of that, Rize knew the location of the main house. Therefore, the moment Washuu Tsuneyoshi received news of the failed operation, he made an immediate decision and activated the highest-level relocation plan.
They did not choose to ambush, nor did they entertain the illusion of confronting the enemy with the forces currently stationed there.
Ordinary ambushes were meaningless in the face of absolute power. They would only add casualties and expose the family's final reserves.
Seated at the head position, Washuu Tsuneyoshi's face was dark as water.
Although he held authority over the CCG and wielded unquestioned power within the Commission of Counter Ghoul, he knew clearly that his authority was not without limits.
In the end, he exercised power within the framework of the state apparatus. Above him was legislative oversight, and executive decisions from the Prime Minister, layers of restraint binding him.
Those heavy weapons capable of flattening an entire district in an instant were strategic assets he could not mobilize with a single sentence.
The "Tokyo Ghoul" incident that had continued for years sounded grand, often involving talk of racial survival and the fate of the world.
But in truth, its core conflict and sphere of influence had always remained firmly confined to the shadows of Tokyo.
It was like a brutal drama performed on a vast stage that had yet to spill into the audience seats. It had not truly shaken national-level decision-making.
This time, however, was different.
The alliance between Carnage and the One-Eyed Owl had exceeded the limits he could control with conventional means.
The precious time bought by this empty-city tactic had to be used to end the threat with thunderous force.
He had nearly exhausted the Washuu Clan's accumulated favors, interests, and deterrence built over many years, paying a tremendous price,
to finally pry open that most sensitive nerve and bypass the cumbersome procedures and approvals.
As long as Carnage truly entered the Washuu Clan's compound, he would immediately contact the Air Force.
"The target has entered the designated zone."
His voice was icy and emotionless as he spoke into the encrypted communicator. "Action authorization confirmed."
The moment the order was given, at an airbase dozens of kilometers away, five fighter jets armed with live ammunition pierced the night sky,
like hunting dogs released from their chains, roaring toward the ancient residence of the Washuu Clan that had become a trap.
......
Seeing that the vast Washuu estate was completely empty, Rize stepped lightly to Amano Hiro's side and asked softly,
"Hiro, what now? Should we go back?"
A suffocating frustration churned in Amano Hiro's chest. His eyes sharpened as he rejected the idea decisively. "Go back?"
He looked around at the pavilions and towers, a cold curve forming at his lips.
"Since we're already here, how can we leave empty-handed? If we can't find them, we'll blow their nest to pieces. We'll tear it down completely before we leave."
Eto's single eye lit up instantly as she grinned excitedly. "Great idea. Even if we didn't kill those old foxes, destroying the nest they've maintained for over a hundred years will make their hearts bleed and strip their pride."
Before her words finished.
Boom.
Three terrifying figures were once again enveloped in grotesque kagune, transforming into three highly efficient humanoid demolition machines.
Dark red kagune lashed out like giant hammers, claws, and whips, carrying overwhelming force as they smashed into the exquisite ancient structures.
Boom. Boom. Crash.
In an instant, the estate that had once symbolized the Washuu Clan's supreme glory and authority echoed with continuous thunderous destruction.
Finely crafted beams snapped, towering walls collapsed, and ornate eaves crumbled into dust.
In mere moments, the ancient main residence visibly turned into a field of ruins.
...
In the underground conference room, there was absolute silence.
The booming sounds and tremors transmitted from the screen struck directly at the hearts of every Washuu executive.
They watched helplessly as the ancestral home their family had maintained for over a century, the buildings carrying history and glory,
collapsed like paper under the violent assault of Carnage and the others. Their faces were ashen, their hearts bleeding.
Washuu Tsuneyoshi's clenched fists turned white at the knuckles.
He drew a deep breath. There was no trace of regret in his eyes for the destruction of the ancestral home.
Only near-mad resolve and bone-chilling killing intent as he muttered,
"Destroy it. Tear it down to your heart's content. These lifeless objects will serve as my advance gift to you on your road to the underworld."
Just as Amano Hiro was in the midst of demolishing another side hall with a swing of his tendrils, his movement suddenly stopped.
A powerful sense of crisis poured over him like icy water, forcing him to look up at the dark sky.
Five indistinct black shadows were cutting through the air at astonishing speed. The flashing signal lights at their edges blinked like the eyes of death.
Amano Hiro's pupils shrank sharply, his blood nearly freezing in an instant.
"Damn it. Fighter jets!"
He roared with all his strength. "Rize. Eto. Get over here. Now."
Rize and Eto had never heard such alarm in his voice. Without hesitation, they abandoned their destruction and burst forward with full kagune output, streaking toward him like lightning.
But the fighter jets were too fast.
In the brief instant of that shout, the five jets had already reached the airspace above the Washuu estate and entered attack position.
Inside the cockpits, the pilots calmly locked onto the three unusually bright humanoid heat signatures clustered together below using their targeting pods.
"Command center, targets acquired. Bearing 120. Distance 3000. Targets clustering. Requesting authorization to engage."
The response from ground command was cold and swift. "Authorization granted. Repeat. Authorization granted. Ensure total destruction."
"Copy."
The moment the command was confirmed, the five fighter jets completed their final lock from different angles.
A shrill tearing sound filled the air as thirty air-to-ground missiles ignited and streaked downward with blazing tails,
like spears thrown by death itself, blanketing the three small figures below.
On the ground, the three had just regrouped, but the deadly whistling was already upon them. At this distance and speed, there was no time to take off and evade.
We can only endure it head-on.
Amano Hiro roared internally. His heart pounded violently. This was true life and death.
In a flash, he unleashed his full potential. His clawed arms stabbed into the ground, and with explosive force he ripped up massive chunks of earth, carving out a shallow pit.
He dragged Rize and Eto into it and shielded them with his body.
With a shout of effort, he activated the RC cells within him that had been strengthened by Carnage. Dark red kagune poured out like living creatures.
No longer in attack form, they rapidly intertwined, extended, and hardened,
instantly enveloping the three of them into a massive sphere with a cold metallic sheen.
Understanding the desperate situation, Rize and Eto held nothing back. They released their own kagune at full power, layering and merging them over Amano Hiro's shell like reinforced armor, making the final barrier even thicker.
In the very next second after the heavy kagune sphere formed.
Boom boom boom boom boom.
Thirty missiles struck like a torrential storm. Deafening explosions rang continuously as terrifying firelight erupted into the sky, instantly swallowing everything.
The shockwave spread outward like a physical tsunami, completely leveling the already ruined Washuu Clan compound.
All pavilions, halls, and landscaped gardens were reduced to powder in that moment.
The five fighter jets circled once above the explosion site, the pilots confirming the area below was fully engulfed in flames and thick smoke.
"Command center, target zone fully covered. Targets confirmed destroyed. Requesting return."
"Return authorized."
"Copy."
Under the night sky, only a silent, burning wasteland remained.