Staring at the completely unguarded "Big Madam" below, Urie Kuki's heart had already been drowned in ecstasy.
"Excellent... this feels absolutely excellent," he roared inwardly. "This is destiny's arrangement."
An unprecedented surge of excitement rushed through his veins.
He was certain that he was the chosen son of fate,
destined to rely on the power he now possessed to become the most dazzling legend in CCG history.
"Let your corpses pave the road to my summit."
A twisted smile spread across his face as his right arm was instantly enveloped in dark red kagune,
condensing into a ferocious greatsword. He grabbed the railing with one hand, his body poised like a hunting leopard.
Now, he burst forward, his entire body shooting out like an arrow released from the bow.
The kagune greatsword tore through the air, aimed directly at the back of Big Madam's unguarded head.
Just as Urie Kuki's kagune greatsword was about to touch the back of her head,
and he was already imagining the award ceremony in his mind.
"Heh..."
Big Madam's bloated body did not move at all, yet a chilling smile spread across her lips.
From beneath her skirt, a thick bikaku suddenly lashed out, sweeping backward with a piercing shriek that tore through the air.
"Bang."
A heavy impact echoed through the underground space. Urie Kuki's colorful fantasies,
together with his body, were smashed to pieces by that blow.
He flew backward like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily into the concrete wall.
"Cough."
Blood sprayed from his mouth, splattering into a glaring crimson bloom on the wall.
His vision blurred, and his consciousness gradually faded amid the intense pain.
Big Madam slowly turned around, a maternal "gentle" smile hanging on her bloated face as she walked step by step toward the collapsed Urie Kuki.
"What a reckless little cutie..." She extended her thick tongue to lick her lips. "Let Mommy dote on you properly."
......
Inside the CCG headquarters command room, Washuu Matsuri watched the surveillance screen expressionlessly.
On the screen, Carnage had just crushed Dodgy Mother with overwhelming force,
and was now venting his anger on the command vehicles parked outside the venue.
Watching a command vehicle torn apart alive, a cold trace of mockery curled at the corner of his lips.
"Hmph... how could I possibly be like that fool Washuu Yoshitoki and personally go to the front line to risk myself."
He elegantly lifted his coffee and took a sip, calculation flashing coldly in his eyes.
"Be arrogant for a little longer, Carnage... your end is not far away."
Setting down the cup, his gaze fell upon the thick file on the desk.
The cover was clearly marked with the word "Carnage." Inside were densely recorded details of every appearance of this mysterious existence, activity routes,
as well as comprehensive battle data and weakness analysis.
"Last time we miscalculated. We did not expect that there truly exists a creature capable of withstanding saturation missile bombardment..."
He stroked the cover lightly, a hint of annoyance in his tone, which soon turned into a confident sneer.
"But next time, when we are fully prepared, let us see whether you can still be so rampant."
Pushing Carnage's file aside, he picked up another one labeled "Urie Kuki."
This young Quinx Squad member was one of the pieces he had carefully selected.
"This vicious dog will not obediently carry out the retreat order, will he..."
His fingertip tapped lightly against the rebellious face in the file photo.
"Will he find the 'treasure' as I wish, or... be buried in this chaos?"
The cold glow of the surveillance screen reflected on his face, outlining a meaningful smile.
......
In a concealed monitoring room, Kanou Akihiro and Eto were intently watching the live footage of Amano Hiro killing Dodgy Mother.
When the crimson figure on the screen displayed absolute power,
Kanou Akihiro's breathing unconsciously grew heavier, fanaticism nearly obsessive surfacing in his eyes.
"Perfect... truly perfect..." he muttered,
his fingers unconsciously tapping the console. "If such an experimental subject could be studied in depth by me..."
Eto stood nearby with her arms crossed. Although she had long witnessed Amano Hiro's strength,
she still could not help but praise softly, "Every time I watch Hiro fight, I rediscover what true power is."
As the footage ended, Eto sharply noticed the lingering obsession in Kanou Akihiro's eyes.
Tilting her head, she spoke lightly, yet her warning was unmistakable.
"Doctor, some thoughts are best not even thought about." She gently wagged her index finger. "You would really lose your life."
Kanou Akihiro slowly withdrew his fervent expression and gave a dry laugh. "Heh heh heh... how could that be."
He then turned serious. "The timing is about right, Eto-san. It is time to recall the experimental subjects."
"Indeed." Eto nodded. "The last 'guests' should have all evacuated as well."
She swiftly took out her communicator, about to send Tatara a message, when she first received one from him. [The CCG has withdrawn]
Eto paused, slightly puzzled. They withdrew already. Because of Hiro? But it did not matter.
[Understood. We are all withdrawing as well]
She then sent a message to Amano Hiro. [Hiro, the CCG has withdrawn. Time for us to wrap up too]
Amano Hiro and Rize had just arrived at the underground entrance of the auction venue,
when the phone in his pocket vibrated lightly. He took it out.
On the screen was Eto's message. [Hiro, the CCG has withdrawn. Time for us to wrap up too]
Amano Hiro looked at the message and frowned slightly.
The CCG's withdrawal was faster than he had expected, raising a trace of suspicion in his mind.
He quickly replied with a single word. [Okay] Then he put the phone back into his pocket.
"What is it, Hiro?" Rize noticed the subtle change in his expression and asked softly.
"Nothing." Amano Hiro withdrew his thoughts and turned his gaze toward the deep underground passage. "Let us go down and take a look."
He stepped into the passage first, Rize following closely behind.
Amano Hiro and Rize moved down the dim corridor and soon entered a surprisingly vast underground space.
It resembled a large warehouse, with shipping containers piled up in disorder.
Clearly, this was the temporary holding area the auction used to detain its "goods."
Amano Hiro's gaze quickly locked onto the bloated figure of Big Madam in the center of the warehouse. She had her back to them and was engaged in an unsettling "meal."
The scene was visually striking. Her jaw opened at an angle that defied normal anatomy,
her blood-filled maw swallowing the upper half of an adult man whole.
Rize frowned slightly and instinctively stepped back half a pace, undisguised disgust in her tone. "That way of eating... truly disgusting."
Amano Hiro looked at Big Madam's revolting figure and prepared to kill her.
When he had watched the anime and saw the scene where she castrated Suzuya Juuzou, he had felt an ache in his own groin.
That was equivalent to harming him. Retribution was necessary.