"Bam!"
The moment Marude Itsuki shouted, "Move!", Urie Kuki was the first to charge.
The other two Associate Special Class Investigators followed close behind, forming a triangular formation as they rushed straight at Washuu Matsuri!
Faced with the assault from all three of them, Washuu Matsuri remained completely unhurried. A sneer even tugged at the corner of his mouth.
His entire body suddenly tensed.
Rip!
Several dark crimson kagune burst violently from his back.
The explosive force instantly shredded the clothes on his body into pieces.
In an instant, the impeccably dressed CCG Bureau Director had become a completely naked man.
The sudden turn of events caught Urie Kuki completely off guard. The trajectory of the Quinque he had been swinging with all his strength shifted.
Crack! Bang!
Instead of striking Washuu Matsuri, the blade buried itself deep into the nearby control console.
A shrill burst of electrical noise erupted as sparks flew everywhere. The entire control panel immediately went black, smoke poured out of it, and it crackled with static.
Still gripping his Quinque, Urie Kuki stared blankly at the completely naked Bureau Director before him, his pupils trembling.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
Who would've thought the CCG Bureau Director was actually a pervert? That's horrifying!
"You...!"
The words caught in his throat.
Marude Itsuki and the other two investigators were equally dumbfounded, their minds reeling from the shock.
Marude reacted the fastest. Almost instinctively, he raised his handgun.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
He emptied the entire magazine in one breath.
The other two investigators turned livid and roared as they launched another fierce assault.
That said, the ghouls of the Washuu Clan really were no pushovers.
Even while fighting four people at once, Washuu Matsuri relied on his kagune and exceptional close combat skills to hold his ground, even trading blows evenly with them.
Bang!
Knocked backward once again by a powerful kagune strike, Urie Kuki staggered several steps before a fierce look flashed across his eyes.
He casually threw his Quinque onto the floor and covered half of his face with one hand.
When he lowered it again, a crimson Kakugan had already appeared.
"Roar!"
His kagune expanded and multiplied wildly behind him. A grotesque layer of armor spread across his skin as he instantly entered his Half-Kakuja state.
His presence surged dramatically as he charged at Washuu Matsuri once more with reckless ferocity.
The moment Urie Kuki entered his Half-Kakuja state, the entire battle shifted instantly.
The four of them relentlessly attacked the naked Washuu Matsuri together.
This time, he could no longer hold out.
Before long, he had been beaten until his face was swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
All four of his limbs were cleanly broken, and he lay sprawled on the floor like a dead dog, barely able to breathe.
Marude Itsuki's expression remained icy as he picked up the Quinque lying on the ground and aimed its tip directly at Washuu Matsuri's heart.
"What a pity, Washuu... Bureau Director."
There wasn't the slightest trace of warmth in his voice.
Just as he was about to strike, Urie Kuki suddenly spoke.
"Wait! Special-Class Investigator Marude!"
Marude paused and looked at him.
"Killing him now is letting him off too easily."
Urie Kuki spoke rapidly, his Kakugan glowing red in the dim light.
"We should drag him back, take him onto the stage during the press conference, and let the entire world see exactly what the CCG's Bureau Director and the Washuu Clan really are!"
Marude fell silent for two seconds before slowly exhaling and withdrawing the blade.
"Good point."
He waved his hand.
"Tie him up. We're taking him back."
After dealing with Washuu Matsuri, an even more urgent problem presented itself.
The battle on the front lines was still ongoing.
They had to contact the forces on the island immediately and order a retreat.
Marude Itsuki frowned deeply.
The situation had become far too complicated.
The state of Aogiri Tree was still unknown, while chaos had erupted in their own backyard.
Combining everything that had happened before with today's undeniable proof, a complete chain of events had finally become clear.
The Washuu Clan's true identity had been exposed.
Combined with the turmoil of recent days, they were now at their weakest and most vulnerable.
This was the perfect opportunity to completely eradicate the Washuu Clan, purge the CCG, and rebuild it from the ground up.
Marude hurried over to the smoking control console.
Urie Kuki's strike earlier had landed solidly.
He needed to see whether it could still be repaired.
He ripped away the deformed outer casing and lowered his head to inspect the wiring and motherboard inside.
His eyes swept across it quickly.
Fortunately, the main damage was limited to a few obvious capacitors and connectors. It looked serious, but they were all standard replacement parts.
"Not bad."
He let out a sigh of relief and gave his order without turning around.
"The command ship definitely has spare parts for these. Go get them immediately. Once they're replaced, communications should be restored."
...
"The CCG has arrived! They've reached the manor!" an Aogiri Tree member rushed into the hall to report.
Hearing the news, Amano Hiro rose from the throne.
"Let's go."
He took the lead toward the exit, his voice calm yet carrying clearly throughout the hall.
"Come and see for yourselves how the first step toward the new world will be taken."
Behind him, the executives and members immediately followed.
A massive tide of black-clad figures surged after him as they poured out of the building.
...
Inside the manor's spacious front courtyard.
The CCG investigators had already assembled there, but none of them rashly charged into the main building.
Since earlier, they had completely lost contact with the command ship.
Aura Kiyoko was the first to break the silence.
"What do we do now? We can't reach the command center at all. Did something happen?"
Shinohara Yukinori frowned.
"It shouldn't have. The command ship is still offshore, not far from the island.
When we came here, we didn't see any enemies heading in that direction."
Houji Kousuke added, "If enemies really managed to board the command ship, there's no way we wouldn't have noticed anything. At the very least, we would've received an emergency signal."
Kuroiwa Iwao's steady voice cut through the growing anxiety.
"To be safe, send two people back to confirm the situation aboard the command ship. The rest of us will stay here and continue discussing our assault plan."
Everyone agreed.
With the situation unclear, splitting into two groups while maintaining mutual support was the safest course of action.
Very quickly, two agile investigators broke away from the formation and hurried back the way they had come.
Arima Kishou did not participate in the discussion.
He simply stood quietly, watching the villa ahead.
The remaining main force turned their attention once more toward the unnaturally silent main building.
A tense atmosphere, like the calm before a storm, filled the air.
"...Everyone. Long time no see. Welcome... to my world."
A voice carrying a trace of amusement suddenly interrupted the CCG's tactical discussion.
Every investigator immediately tensed and turned toward the source of the voice.
The massive front doors of the manor had opened at some point.
A sea of figures was pouring out from within.
Every one of them wore dark red cloaks and a different mask.
They were unmistakably dressed in Aogiri Tree's signature attire.
Although they were fewer in number than the CCG, the killing intent radiating from them was not the least bit weaker.
The two forces faced each other across the courtyard and the air itself seemed frozen.
The Special-Class Investigators' attention immediately locked onto the few people standing at the very front of the opposing side who wore neither cloaks nor masks.
Leading them was a handsome young man with a faint smile playing across his face.
The one who had just welcomed them was clearly him.