When Marude Itsuki heard the word "cooperation," his mind took a moment to process it.
"You mean... you want CCG to cooperate with you ghouls?"
The smile on Amano Hiro's face did not change.
"Why not?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ui Koori could no longer hold himself back. He suddenly stood up, his voice carrying suppressed anger.
"The Butcher! Do you really think investigators could possibly join hands with ghouls?
Look at the expressions of everyone here. Isn't the answer already clear enough? Before you are driven out, you should leave on your own!"
Amano Hiro slightly raised his eyebrows and glanced over.
His tone carried undisguised contempt.
"I advise you not to speak so arrogantly. It will only make you look... especially weak."
"You...!"
The veins on Ui Koori's forehead twitched, and his words became stuck in his throat.
Amano Hiro no longer looked at him. His gaze returned to Marude Itsuki sitting in the main seat, as if he had merely brushed away an annoying buzzing insect.
"By the way, I'll give you another piece of information for free."
His tone was casual, but the information he threw out was heavy.
"Those 'Dragon Orphans,' the red monsters, do not only eat humans. They also eat ghouls. And they will continue evolving, becoming stronger and stronger."
He ignored the sudden changes in breathing and shocked expressions throughout the conference room and continued.
"With only your forces, you don't have enough manpower to find the core of the 'Dragon,' right?
Besides, humans have their limits. Your mobility and perception in certain areas are far inferior to ghouls."
He leaned slightly forward and asked one final question, his sharp gaze fixed on Marude Itsuki.
"I'll ask one fundamental question. What exactly are you investigators fighting for?"
Before Marude Itsuki could answer, Ui Koori interrupted again, his voice carrying his usual determination.
"Of course it is to exterminate ghouls!"
Amano Hiro immediately responded. His voice was not loud, but it was clear and powerful.
"Could it be... that it is not to fight for 'peace'?"
Those words were like a stone jammed into a machine. Ui Koori opened his mouth,
wanting to refute him, but he found that any direct denial sounded pale and narrow-minded. For a moment, he could only stammer and choke on his words.
Marude Itsuki's expression became serious. He stared closely at Amano Hiro and asked in a deep voice.
"Can I ask you a question?"
Amano Hiro raised his hand slightly, making a gesture for him to continue.
"From your current position," Marude Itsuki spoke slowly, every word carrying scrutiny,
"isn't the most reasonable thing to do to hide on the sidelines, watch us and those monsters destroy each other, and reap the benefits?
You could even take this chance to completely destroy TSC and remove your obstacles. Why are you instead taking the initiative to propose cooperation?"
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"What benefits does this bring you, and Aogiri Tree? I cannot see them."
This was not provocation. It was the most rational question based on the current situation.
He truly could not understand what "The Butcher" was trying to gain by extending a helping hand at this critical moment.
Hearing this question, the usual relaxed smile on Amano Hiro's face gradually disappeared.
He met Marude Itsuki's gaze, his expression becoming serious.
"Because..."
He spoke, his voice clear and steady.
"Unlike some people here, I do not have such a short-sighted view."
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Ui Koori, whose expression had already become unpleasant. Ui Koori almost lost his temper again.
"Destroying TSC gives me no benefit."
Amano Hiro's tone carried an almost cold certainty.
"Otherwise, do you really think the current TSC could stop me?"
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. Word by word, he said something that left every investigator stunned.
"My goal, from the very beginning, was never to destroy anyone. What I want to create is a world where humans and ghouls can coexist."
"A world where neither side needs to continue endless slaughter, where neither side is consumed by hatred, and where they can ultimately... live together peacefully."
After Amano Hiro finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence.
Aside from Arima Kishou, whose expression remained impossible to read, the other investigators present all displayed undisguised shock and confusion.
They never imagined that from "The Butcher," a monster whose hands were stained with blood and who represented absolute violence,
they would hear such words, and hear such an almost... "idealistic" goal.
Humans were often arrogant. When looking at problems, they would unconsciously carry preconceived biases.
Most people were accustomed to stopping at the surface, labeling things based on fragments of what they saw and heard,
then stubbornly believing that what they had determined was the entire truth and the correct answer. Few people would analyze the essence of matters.
At this moment, many people's established beliefs were being shaken by these words.
Marude Itsuki remained silent for a long while. It was as if he wanted to completely expel the complicated frustration in his chest as he heavily and slowly exhaled.
He did not immediately answer Amano Hiro. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Arima Kishou, who had not spoken a single word from beginning to end.
"Special-Class Investigator Arima."
Marude Itsuki's voice carried a trace of barely noticeable exhaustion, as well as the meaning of entrusting the crucial decision to someone else.
"What is your opinion? This matter... let you make the decision."
Everyone's eyes then focused on the "White Reaper."
The lenses of Arima Kishou's glasses reflected cold light. He calmly swept his gaze over the various expressions of his colleagues, without any change appearing on his face.
Then he spoke. His voice was as steady and concise as always, yet carried the weight of a final decision.
"I believe that cooperation... has no disadvantages."
.......
After the cooperation agreement was finalized, Amano Hiro did not stay at TSC for long. He directly brought Rize and Eto back to the Aogiri Tree headquarters.
After returning, he immediately gathered all members and briefly announced the decision to cooperate with TSC.
Once the news came out, everyone's reactions differed. Most remained silent as they processed the information, but some immediately jumped up.
"What?! Cooperate with them? Are you kidding me!"
Naki suddenly stood up, his face full of resistance.
"If you want to cooperate, go ahead. I won't do it!"
The Kusanagi Miza beside him hurriedly reached out and grabbed him.
"Hey, Naki, don't be impulsive..."
But it was already too late.
Amano Hiro did not waste any words. He did not even give Naki the chance to finish speaking. His figure flashed, and everyone only saw a blur before their eyes.
Bang!
A dull impact sounded.
Clean and decisive.
Before Naki could even react, he was struck hard in the face by a punch.
His entire body flew backward and crashed heavily onto the ground. He did not even make a sound before losing consciousness.
The conference hall instantly became completely silent.
Amano Hiro withdrew his hand, as if he had merely brushed some dust away.
His cold gaze swept across every face present. His voice was not loud, but the chill within it allowed no argument.
"I will state this once: what I said was an order, not a request."
His eyes paused briefly on the unconscious Naki before slowly moving away.
"Anyone who dares stand in the way of the path toward the new world..."
He paused, every word seeming to be frozen in ice.
"I will remove them."
"I will not say this a second time."