81

Chapter 81: The Twin Sister's Dillenma

Under the orders of their "father," Akihiro Kanou, they were tasked with protecting Madam A.

Both Kurona and Nashiro wore masks with black-and-white stripes. Kurona's mask had a single hole for the left eye with vertical stripes, while Nashiro's mask had a single hole for the right eye with horizontal stripes.

The mask's design matched their respective one-eyed traits—Kurona's left eye was ghoulized, and Nashiro's right eye.

Neither of them expected to run into Kanzaki Ryoma at a place like the "Ghoul Restaurant."

The moment they spotted him, their eyes widened with shock.

Both were caught in a dilemma. Their orders were to protect Madam A at all costs. If they chose to save Kanzaki Ryoma, they would not only defy Kanou's orders but also risk angering Madam's faction—a force with considerable power in the ghoul underworld. Such actions could bring serious trouble to Kanou.

Madam was one of the most influential figures among the elite ghoul society, wielding enormous financial power. The infamous "Ghoul Restaurant" and the "Auction" were both established and controlled by her.

While Kurona and Nashiro were still hesitating, Kanzaki Ryoma had already engaged the ghoul known as "Disintegration Man."

Disintegration Man responded to Madam A's call and charged at Kanzaki with impressive force.

Without hesitation, Kanzaki stepped forward and drove his sword-like Quinque, Jason, straight into Disintegration Man's abdomen. The strike was precise, reducing the ghoul's fighting capability almost instantly.

"Mom... Mom…"

Disintegration Man writhed on the ground, moaning in pain.

The power of an S+-class Quinque was far beyond ordinary weapons. Kanzaki's strike had crushed the ghoul's internal organs almost entirely.

"Baby!"

Madam A screamed from the stage, but her voice was cut short as Kanzaki swiftly shifted Jason from its sword form into its feathered projectile form.

The blade's tip morphed into a gun-like muzzle, unleashing a barrage of sharp, blade-like projectiles.

Kanzaki didn't bother aiming. He simply fired into the chaotic crowd, randomly selecting a few unlucky ghouls as his targets.

Catching every ghoul present would have been pointless—most belonged to influential noble ghoul families. While many lacked strong combat power, the forces behind them held considerable influence.

Even without relying on ninjutsu or his Mangekyō Sharingan, Kanzaki knew that wiping out every ghoul in the room would provoke retaliation. Worse yet, he could draw the attention of the Washuu Clan.

The Washuu family, being a powerful ghoul faction, concealed their influence far better than the likes of the Tsukiyama family. If Kanzaki went too far, the Washuu family would undoubtedly intervene.

Kanzaki understood that provoking such powerful forces recklessly would be a dangerous mistake.

[Ding! The host defeated an "A-level ghoul" and received a reward: 10 fusion points!]

[Ding! The host defeated a "B-level ghoul" and received a reward: 5 fusion points!]

With numerous ghouls either injured or dead, panic broke out among the remaining attendees, causing them to flee in every direction.

Kurona and Nashiro immediately reacted, moving to cover Madam A's retreat.

"Master, let's go!"

A masked maid urged Tsukiyama Shuu to retreat.

The Tsukiyama family couldn't afford to openly oppose the CCG. Even with their ties to the Washuu family, the CCG wasn't entirely under Washuu control.

The majority of CCG investigators were still ordinary humans. Only one special-class investigator, Kishou Arima was directly loyal to the Washuu family. The Washuu Clan had to maintain a façade of supporting humanity to keep their secret safe.

"..."

Tsukiyama grimaced beneath his mask. Though frustrated, he ultimately followed the maid and left the Ghoul Restaurant.

Meanwhile, Furuta Nimura had disappeared without a trace.

But Kanzaki's true target was Madam A.

Knowing that Madam A was closely connected to Akihiro Kanou, Kanzaki suspected she might provide valuable information about Kanou's experiments.

Spotting Kurona and Nashiro trying to protect Madam A, Kanzaki immediately leapt to intercept them.

Despite their attempts to escort Madam A to safety, Kanzaki's speed outmatched them. In a flash, he caught up.

Kurona and Nashiro turned to block Kanzaki, but they hesitated for a brief moment when they recognized him.

That hesitation proved costly.

In an instant, Kanzaki appeared before them and yanked away their masks.

Instinctively, the two sisters raised their hands to shield their faces—they didn't want Kanzaki to see them like this.

"Kurona... Nashiro... making the same mistake again?"

Kanzaki's voice was calm but firm.

He didn't attack them. Instead, he casually tossed their masks aside and moved toward Madam A.

In her panic, Madam A unleashed her kagune. The sunglasses she wore could no longer conceal her ghoul eye.

But against Kanzaki, her power was meaningless.

With a swift swing of Jason in sword form, Kanzaki severed her kagune, leaving her staggering and coughing up blood.

"Ahh…"

Madam A crumpled to the ground, too injured to resist.

[Ding! The host defeated an "A-level ghoul" and received a reward: 10 fusion points!]

The power of his S+-class Quinque was undeniable. Even without ninjutsu, Kanzaki's ability to cut down A-class ghouls felt almost effortless.

Even now, Kurona and Nashiro refused to abandon Madam A. Loyal to their "father's" orders, they still tried to protect her.

"You know you can't win," Kanzaki said calmly, his gaze steady. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"