Boom!
Dust flew everywhere as weapons clashed.
On the rooftop of the Bronze Tree base, the four members of CCG were engaged in a fierce battle with the store manager. Despite being surrounded by four opponents, the store manager remained calm and collected, his arms moving like two blue swords, blocking every attack with ease.
After just a few rounds of fighting, Hirako and Amon were sent flying, collapsing in a heap some distance away, their bodies injured in multiple places. The store manager had held back; if he had intended to kill, they would already be dead.
"The gap is just too big," Amon said, sitting on the ground in despair as he watched the store manager battle against Shinohara and Yuki.
The store manager's strength was beyond what Shinohara and Kuroiwa could handle. After a few exchanges, Shinohara and Yuki were knocked away, rolling helplessly on the ground.
Shinohara, in pain, sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Aman, let’s use that."
"Are we going all out?" Aman asked.
"Maru told us to stall for five minutes, but we haven't even reached three."
Shinohara looked directly at Kuroiwa. "Let's go."
With that, the two activated their 'New' powers, transforming them into forms closer to the store manager's abilities. The 'New' within them surged, beginning to draw their blood.
In the first thirty seconds after activating 'New', it wouldn't directly consume flesh but would only absorb blood. After thirty seconds, it would become uncontrollable, starting to tear at the user's flesh.
"Come on, 'New', eat!"
A few seconds later, Shinohara and Kuroiwa stood up, their armor turning blood red, exuding a wild and ominous aura. Their speed and strength surged as they charged at the store manager.
Noticing their change, the store manager became serious, guessing that this was a new weapon developed by his "old friends."
"This feels crazy," Shinohara said, swinging his Quinque, a large sword, in rapid strikes. Together with Kuroiwa's attacks, they managed to put the store manager on the defensive.
However, this advantage didn't last long. Within twenty seconds, Shinohara could no longer hold on and stumbled back two steps.
"Shinohara!" Kuroiwa shouted, using his Quinque to push back the store manager as he rushed to Shinohara's side.
"The performance of 'New' is indeed excellent, but the side effects are too severe."
Shinohara had lost most of his fighting ability, with multiple bite wounds on his upper body from 'New'. Kuroiwa was in better shape but still exhausted, having lost a lot of blood.
"This is bad, very bad," Hirako said, his face grim. If things continued like this, all four of them would die here.
Amon leaned against the wall, his eyes filled with frustration. "Don't give up, your savior is here."
Maru's voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece, lifting the spirits of the four on the rooftop.
Bang!
A metal door in the corner of the rooftop was kicked open from the inside, showing that the person who kicked it had considerable strength. The door was bent into a U-shape, with a footprint in the center.
The door crashed down near the store manager, who looked toward the dark doorway. A wisp of green smoke floated out, and a spark could be seen.
"Has the Bronze Tree's ghoul gone mad? This place looks like a maze," Su Xiao said, stepping out of the darkness and onto the rooftop. After running for a while, he had taken a moment to rest; if he hadn't heard the sounds of battle, he would have arrived even later.
The night wind blew, making his white coat flutter. Flicking away the cigarette butt in his hand, Su Xiao took a deep breath and walked toward the store manager.
Unlike his daughter, Takatsuki Izumi, the store manager had much more combat experience. However, he also had weaknesses; he hadn’t consumed human flesh in many years. This had led to a decrease in the Rc cell count in his body, weakening his fighting power.
"Are you planning to eat that thing?" Su Xiao asked, holding his sword, Zhanlongshan, with the tip pointed toward the ground.
One of the store manager's arms had already released its power, and he held a large piece of 'New' that he had torn off during his fight with Shinohara. The main material of 'New' came from an SSS-level ghoul, meaning the Rc cell content was thousands, even tens of thousands of times higher than that of human flesh.
"If I don't eat it, I might not be able to fight you," the store manager replied.
As he spoke, the store manager opened his mouth wide, swallowing the large piece of 'New' in one bite.
Just after the store manager consumed the piece of 'New', Su Xiao charged forward. He had run too fast on the way here, so he needed a moment to catch his breath; otherwise, he would have engaged the store manager sooner.
Zhanlongshan sliced through the air, aiming at the store manager. As it moved, a faint blue electric arc appeared on its surface.
Su Xiao wasn't taking any chances in this fight and activated his Qinggang Shadow.
The store manager raised his arm, and their powers clashed.
Clang! The sharp sound of metal striking metal echoed.
The hard power of the store manager was cut, and energy from Qinggang Shadow surged into the store manager's body. The Rc cells inside him ignited, causing him to grunt in pain. However, having fought all his life, this kind of intense pain, while terrifying, didn’t affect him.
"Sharp sword skills, but this level of attack won't take my life," the store manager said, blocking Zhanlongshan while his other arm, resembling a blade, lunged at Su Xiao.
The angle of the attack was extremely tricky. Su Xiao reacted quickly, ducking just in time, though a few strands of his black hair fell, showing how sharp the store manager's power was.
With a flourish, Su Xiao unleashed a series of slashes, engaging the store manager in direct combat. While Su Xiao's attributes were slightly lower than the store manager's, his exceptional swordsmanship made up for it.
Clang, clang, clang...
Their weapons clashed rapidly, sparks flying as they exchanged blows dozens of times in a very short period.
On the rooftop, the two figures, one tall and one short, fought fiercely, while the four others watched.
"Wow, they're amazing," Amon said, staring at the scene in shock, feeling a wave of emotions rise within him.
The man before him might be younger, yet he was fighting against a one-eyed owl alone. This contrast made Amon's chest feel tight.
"The headquarters sent him to District 24 as a temporary member of Team Zero for this reason. You might not have seen the scene where Bai Ye drove ghouls out of District 14," Shinohara, covered in blood, said while focusing intently on the battle.
"Shinohara, should I go help?" Kuroiwa asked, feeling slightly better after being less injured and still having some stamina from using 'New'.
"No, if we go up, we might interfere with his fight."
The four of them fell silent, staying where they were to continue watching.
Meanwhile, in the command vehicle, Maru was smiling as he watched the screen.
"Indeed, bringing you here was the right choice."
With that thought, Maru relaxed and sat back.
On the rooftop, the battle between Su Xiao and the store manager had reached a boiling point. The store manager seemed to grow stronger with each passing moment, and this was no illusion; it was due to the piece of 'New' he had consumed.
The Rc cell count in the store manager's body was rising, and his power was gradually increasing. He had grown from around two and a half meters tall to an astonishing three meters, with his power glowing a blood-red hue.
The store manager regained some of the glory of his youth, no longer the old man who had been cut down by several special investigators.
Bang!
Su Xiao kicked the store manager in the side, causing him to step back a few paces without sustaining any injuries.
The intense battle had left Su Xiao slightly out of breath, and the store manager was also feeling the strain. The power on his arms was battered, with some areas even showing holes.
"What a thrilling opponent," Su Xiao said, undeterred by the long struggle. Instead, it fueled his fighting spirit; he hadn’t encountered such a strong opponent in a long time.
This felt different from his fight with Nico; this was real combat, the kind that didn’t bore you.
"Keep going."
I want big support, ah no, I want big votes, ah no, I want recommendation votes.
(End of Chapter)