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Chapter 37 - Curtain Call

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He didn't finish his sentence.

Slaughter didn't even bother to use his tentacles; he merely casually lifted his scythe-like giant claw, gently waving it as if flicking away a speck of dust.

"Chih la--"

The old man's head, along with the fragile Kou-kaku he had just condensed, instantly separated from his neck, like butter cut by a hot knife.

The headless corpse staggered forward two steps due to inertia, spurting blood, and heavily collapsed onto the ground.

That head rolled to Slaughter's feet, its golden-rimmed glasses shattered, and a look of incredible horror frozen on its face.

"Whose territory?" Slaughter's deep voice carried a hint of playfulness and mockery. "Why did you stop talking?"

His appearance completely ignited the panic on the higher floors. The Ghouls here might be slightly stronger, but in the face of absolute power, everything was meaningless. They screamed, scurrying like startled rats through the collapsing private rooms and corridors, trying to find a hiding place or a crack to escape through.

But Slaughter wouldn't give them a chance.

The tentacles behind him, with a piercing whoosh, accurately pierced every figure attempting to hide or resist.

A female Ghoul trying to use her Ukaku to accelerate her escape was impaled through the chest from behind by a tentacle, hoisted into the air, and, like a butterfly pinned to a specimen board, struggled futilely a few times before limply hanging down. With a flick of the tentacle, her body was slammed against the wall like a rag, then slid down silently.

Another tall Ghoul roared, a powerful Kou-kaku erupting from his waist, charging at Slaughter fearlessly, his kagune striking towards Slaughter's chest with a wind-tearing force.

"Dong!"

A dull thud sounded. Slaughter's massive body remained motionless, not even taking a single step back. The Ghoul's full-force punch only caused the dark red viscous tissue covering Slaughter's chest to slightly indent, then immediately returned to its original state.

"Wh-...?!". The Ghoul strongman's ferocious expression instantly turned to horror.

Slaughter lowered his head, his pale eyes looking down at this overconfident fellow. He didn't speak, just raised his other giant claw, fingers spread, like a huge bear trap, and then slammed it shut.

"Puji..."

A teeth-grinding sound of crushing. The strongman's proud Kou-kaku, along with his entire upper body, was instantly crushed into a blurry mixture of flesh and blood in Slaughter's giant claw, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible.

When Slaughter released his hand, only shapeless minced meat and shattered kagune fragments mixed with viscous blood splattered onto the ground.

Kaneki Ken stood stiffly at the edge of the ruined arena below, looking up at the figure high above. Each swing of his tentacles, each descent of his claws, was accompanied by the end of a life.

His stomach churned, and he almost vomited, but his body was rigid from extreme fear and shock.

Those Ghouls who regarded humans as mere weeds were as fragile as paper in front of He Xi Qian Yu.

Slaughter seemed to grow tired of hunting on the second floor. He raised his spiky head, let out a deafening roar, and violently spread his arms to both sides.

"Roar--!!!"

Accompanying his roar, several of the thickest tentacles behind him suddenly expanded several times, striking fiercely against the stone pillars and walls supporting the entire massive dome space with a destructive force.

"Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom--!!!"

Each strike was like the impact of a battering ram. The surface of the thick stone pillars instantly became covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and large chunks of decorative carvings and rocks peeled off, crashing onto the blood and corpses below, causing even greater chaos. The walls were torn open with huge gashes, revealing the rough concrete structure behind them.

The huge crystal chandelier swayed wildly, emitting a grating screech, and finally, unable to bear the weight, it crashed down with a "whoosh," bringing countless shattered crystals and sparks, onto the chaotic area below, causing another round of desperate cries and evasions.

Dust, rubble, and blood mist mixed with the Ghouls' desperate wails permeated the entire space. This restaurant, once a symbol of these Ghouls' refined taste, had now completely become their hell.

Slaughter stood on the edge of the collapsing second floor, with constantly falling architectural debris and Ghoul remains beneath his feet. The dark red symbiote on his body, after absorbing a large amount of flesh and blood, seemed to become even more viscous, flowing with a chilling luster.

His pale eyes scanned this purgatory he had personally created, seemingly admiring his masterpiece.

The Ghouls here were either dead or fled. At this moment, the Ghoul Restaurant, apart from him and Kaneki Ken, had no other living beings.

"Had enough fun?" He Xi Qian Yu's cold voice echoed deep within his consciousness. "If you've had enough, let's go."

"Mm..." Slaughter's voice carried a hint of lingering desire.

His massive body suddenly bent at the knees, then abruptly leaped up with a burst of force, and the crimson tentacles behind him spun wildly, forming a rapidly expanding crimson tornado around his body with incredible power.

"Bring Jin Mu."

At the core of the tornado, two tentacles shot out like lightning, precisely wrapping around the still-stunned Kaneki Ken below.

This crimson tornado, carrying destructive potential, slammed into the Ghoul Restaurant's thick wall like a roaring beast.

"Boom!!!"

The sturdy wall exploded open with a huge hole as if made of paper. Amidst the flying dust and rubble, the tornado suddenly dissipated. Slaughter's figure emerged from it, with the two tentacles behind him still firmly holding the shaken Kaneki Ken.

Slaughter gently placed Kaneki Ken on the ground, and then the dark red viscous substance covering his entire body rapidly contracted and receded like a tide, revealing He Xi Qian Yu's original form.

"Don't just stand there," He Xi Qian Yu said, looking at the still-shaken Kaneki Ken, his tone returning to its usual calmness. "It's time to go back."

"Oh... Oh oh..." Kaneki Ken suddenly snapped back to reality, quickly nodding vigorously, his voice still trembling slightly.

...When they returned to Antique, the coffee shop was already about to close, and Koma Enji and Ru Jian Xuan were tidying up behind the counter.

"Yo," Koma Enji greeted them as warmly as ever, with a hearty smile. "You two are back."

"Qianyu-ge..." Kaneki Ken lowered his head, his voice muffled. "I'm going back to my room first." With that, he almost fled, hurrying towards the stairs.

It seemed that the hellish scene this afternoon had too great an impact on Kaneki Ken.

It made sense, Kaneki Ken had never seen such scenes before; his only previous bloody battle was with Nishio Nishiki.

Ru Jian Xuan watched Kaneki Ken's disappearing back at the staircase, frowning slightly, her tone laced with concern: "Is he alright?"

"Let him rest well." He sighed almost imperceptibly.

He Xi Qian Yu had a very good impression of this shy and introverted boy. The time they had spent together had already made him consider Kaneki Ken a friend.

He couldn't protect Kaneki Ken forever.

The Ghoul world was cruel, and Kaneki Ken had to grow up.

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