บท 29: An Airwave

The cold wind was disrupted by the icy gusts that swept through the outskirts of District 20, bringing with it the chill from far-off regions. In no time, a light rain began to blanket the surroundings.

The forceful winds kept on blowing time and time again.

At this late hour of the night, few people roamed the streets as most had chosen to stay at home, making the most of the cozy weather to spend the rest of the day in bed. The cold was perfect for indulging in activities that could only be enjoyed indoors.

But while others enjoyed their home comforts, non-humans had different plans, and that's when a nighttime battle erupted.

"Who are these damn guys following us?" shouted a man who moved between the rooftops of the houses in District 20 towards an unknown location.

A man wearing a monster mask ran alongside him and, after identifying the faces of the enemies, said, "They are the Black Crows of the Third Division. We have privileged information that they are the weakest within the Three-Eyed Crow organization. However, they are as deadly as Ghoul investigators since they employ human weapons and rarely use their Kagune."

Just behind them were about five more figures advancing as a group, but at this moment, the sound of a gunshot rang out not far from their position, and in the blink of an eye, one of the Ghouls attempting to force their way into District 20 was hit in the leg.

"Aaaahhhh!"

Bang! Bang!

In just moments, the hooded Ghoul's chest and head exploded like a watermelon. The shots came from at least five hundred meters away, and the caliber of the bullets was so large that even a normal Kagune would have difficulty defending against such an attack.

"They're surrounded; don't dare to move a single muscle, or you'll die within seconds!" yelled a voice loud enough for the group of seven to halt at what appeared to be a factory under repair.

"My name is Viper, the Second Pillar in the high-ranking Crow position. How dare you invade our territory and leave a colossal mess behind that we had to clean up?" Viper stepped forward, his faces glowing with a scarlet hue, and he stared at the invaders.

The man who seemed to be the leader of the invaders frowned and muttered, "I'm Takashi."

"Mr. Takashi, do you know that you're invading the territory of another organization and causing a massive disturbance in the stability we maintain in this area?" Viper took a step forward, while his bloodthirsty aura and killing intent overflowed from his body.

"Are you the farmers? It's quite ironic that you address me with that tone of disdain. Although you outnumber us, our combat experience will ultimately crush those little Ghouls who don't know how to survive without their babysitters."

Takashi's statement was quite serious. However, the Crow-masked Ghouls remained calm, as if those words didn't affect them in the slightest. To them, these invading Ghouls were simply trash that they would have to clean up sooner or later.

They had carefully cleaned up District 20, and there wasn't a Ghoul in the vicinity who wasn't registered with them or Anteiku. So, for now, they maintained control over the entire area and planned to expand first into District 19, as it was the neighboring district.

"Then I'll kill you all!" Takashi shouted, immediately unleashing his powerful Kagune. His eyes turned suddenly crimson, and he moved at superhuman speed toward Viper.

No other Ghouls decided to act. They all instinctively decided that the outcome of this battle would be more than enough to determine a winner. Takashi, with his scissor-shaped Kagune, launched a swift attack aimed at cleaving Viper, who remained motionless.

Viper's Kagune was a Rinkaku, but due to cannibalism, it mutated into an extremely special form that made him one of the fastest Ghouls among the districts. Even Kenzo himself would be unable to catch him if Viper decided to run at high speed. So, he unfurled part of his Kagune on his back, took a breath, and stepped forward.

In just a few short moments, he coiled a portion of his Kagune around his right hand and, like a sharp sword, exceeded the speed that Takashi expected. He wasn't used to fighting very often, but he was known for being the Crow Master's blade, secretly called the skull splitter.

Crack!

His tremendous speed startled everyone in the vicinity, including the Crows who were part of the attack squad. They were newcomers who had seen little of the Pillars, and now, in the presence of one of the strongest, they could only open their eyes wide to gain experience.

Boom!

The Kagune struck the building's wall with force, destroying everything in its path. But what no one realized was that Viper had used his Kagune to cut Takashi's neck.

Viper stopped, retracted his Kagune, and looked at the man who had chosen to die for a foolish ideology. "If you had decided to engage in a conversation, maybe you'd have survived. But your Kagune will be put to good use by capable Crows who know how to follow orders."

Gasping for air, Takashi turned very slowly, searching for Viper's eyes filled with coldness. "I... How did I lose?"

Om!

Takashi's decapitated body fell to the ground, leaving everyone frozen with shock and fear.

How was it so fast?

That's what everyone would wonder in this situation, but no one knew the answer. Nobody knew it. The research conducted by Class S Ghouls has a lot to do with their cells and how each of them controls them.

"What? Have you made a decision?"

All the Ghouls who felt confident because Takashi was a Class S Ghoul fell silent, and their faces turned pale.

The Ghouls had clearly heard about District 20 and knew it was relatively peaceful, so as long as they behaved, there should be no problems. However, just minutes after entering District 20, problems arose, and one died quite easily.

Slightly irritated, Viper pointed at them and said, "All of you can share the vision of the Crows. Join us, and we will protect you from any harm. Your usefulness will demonstrate the value we'll give you in the future."

"You won't kill us, will you?"

"Why should we do that?"

Expressions of confusion appeared on the faces of the Ghouls who clearly thought they were about to die the same way as Takashi. They had considered ways to escape, but given Viper's speed, they would eventually be caught, not to mention the other Ghouls nearby.

"If you don't make a decision, you will die here. We're not usually so aggressive, but lately, we've been under attack by an unknown enemy. So, what decision will you make?" Viper retracted his hand with some impatience.

"So, if you allow us to follow you, we'd be happy to join your organization..." One of the Ghouls knew that this wouldn't be so easy, but it was better than dying as Takashi did.

Viper, who nodded upon hearing the response, said, "Then you will be escorted to a nearby base. There, you will eat and subsequently answer some quite simple questions. After that, you will have to pass an examination, which means you will be integrated into one of the Ghoul branches based on your qualities."

"Thank you very much..."

Stepping away from that group, Viper took out his phone and called Kenzo. "I have new information, after confirming it, I'll tell you in person."

"Good, good work." Kenzo's response was simple and without any additional doubt. Everyone knew that this would happen sooner or later, and they were ready to respond aggressively to any violation.