The museum at midnight was submerged in ink-like darkness, the marble floor reflecting the fragmented light of the waning moon.
"Breach!"
"Tatakae!"
Just as the Captain's low command fell, Team A's Senior Investigator Sato's Koukaku quinque smashed through the carved wooden door, and two silver beams of light pierced the darkness.
It was the quinques activated by the team members. "Ghouls! Everyone, on high alert!"
Just as Team C's Captain Yamada's roar rose, twenty-five Ghouls sprang out from behind the display cases.
Scorpion-type Kagune shimmered with a greenish-black poisonous light.
Third Class Investigator Kobayashi had just swung his quinque when he was pierced through the chest by the tail stingers of three Ghouls, blood splashing onto an Ancient Egyptian stele.
"Cross-cover!"
Sato's Koukaku transformed into a shield, blocking the incoming poisonous stingers.
The Team A members' Ukaku quinques fired silver blades, and two Ghouls fell to the ground.
Team C's Senior Investigator Suzuki's Rinkaku swept out, but his arm was bitten by a high-ranking Ghoul.
"Argh!!!"
He gritted his teeth and tore his arm away, his quinque stabbing straight into the opponent's skull.
The sound of shattering display glass, the clashing of Kagune, and screams intertwined.
The Investigators managed to hold their ground through coordination, but the Ghouls' numerical advantage was still overwhelming.
"Otsuka!!!"
Another Second Class Investigator had his throat pierced by a scorpion tail, and a warm mist of blood blurred everyone's vision.
"Cap- *cough cough*..."
Otsuka fell heavily to the ground, but his hand still tightly gripped the Ghoul's ankle.
The Captain gripped the Special Class quinque at his waist and gave it a fierce swing with a roar!
*Slash!*
A Ghoul's head flew off, its arrogant smile completely frozen on its face.
The Captain was now engaged in battle with the leader of the Poison Scorpions, and the situation was deadlocked.
The Poison Scorpion Leader was actually able to trade blows with the Captain, even gaining the upper hand.
The Poison Scorpion Leader had an Ukaku behind him, and his speed was incredibly fast.
*Whoosh!*
The Poison Scorpion Leader suddenly appeared in the air, black-purple wings spreading behind him as countless crystals whistled through the air, shooting toward the Captain like bullets.
The Captain's pupils shrank, and he could only turn his body to minimize the damage.
*Clang clang clang clang!*
The Captain opened his eyes to find Team A's Captain Sato holding up a Koukaku shield in front of him.
"Captain!"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
The Captain dodged and entangled the Poison Scorpion Leader again. While the two were fighting, Sato suddenly rushed out from behind and smashed his shield fiercely toward the leader.
*Bam!*
The Poison Scorpion Leader hit the ground hard, bouncing up a meter or two before crashing through a wall with a thunderous boom.
When he stood up again, his back was already a bloody mess.
Even his entire spine was bent at an eerie angle.
With a series of cracking sounds, the wound gradually healed.
The Poison Scorpion Leader spat out a mouthful of bloody water and roared with a distorted face. "Retreat!"
The Ghouls of the Poison Scorpions were quite organized.
The moment the leader ordered the retreat, some Ghouls began to fight while withdrawing, while others stayed behind to intercept.
The Poison Scorpion Leader dashed straight out.
The Captain was about to give chase when several Ghouls rushed over, blocking his path.
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!*
At the back door.
"There's movement!"
"Prepare for battle!"
Akira pressed the button on her case. With a flash of light, the case transformed into a rapier. "Get out of my way!"
The next moment, the Poison Scorpion Leader suddenly appeared in front of Akira, the Ukaku behind him firing countless crystals.
"Evade!"
Akira performed a side roll to hide behind a pillar.
"Aaahhh!!!"
An investigator who couldn't dodge in time let out a scream, and the next moment another Ghoul appeared beside him, its Kagune piercing his heart.
Akira looked closely, and her pupils couldn't help but shrink.
There were actually eleven Ghouls!
And there were only seven of them!
But there was no fear in Akira's eyes.
Gripping her rapier, Akira charged toward the Poison Scorpion Leader. "Go to hell!"
*Clang!*
The rapier collided with the opponent's Ukaku, erupting in sparks.
"What's this?" the Poison Scorpion Leader said playfully. "It's actually a woman?"
"Then just die quietly for me!"
*Bam!*
Akira extended her left arm to block the Poison Scorpion Leader's whip kick.
But the power of that kick was too great; Akira was immediately sent flying, slamming heavily against the wall.
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!*
Several flashes of cold light.
Akira endured the sharp pain, propping her body up with her arms and performing several backflips to dodge the incoming crystals.
"Too slow."
The Poison Scorpion Leader appeared beside Akira again, sending her flying with another punch.
This strike actually caused Akira to crash through the wall into the adjacent exhibition hall.
Looking closely, Group B had suffered heavy casualties.
Four or five Ghouls had already broken through the defensive line and rushed out from the back door.
"A fellow like you is actually a Second Class Investigator."
A crimson eye appeared beside Akira.
*Slash!*
Akira instinctively swung her quinque, leaving a gruesome wound on the Poison Scorpion Leader's chest.
However, that wound was rapidly healing. "You bitch!"
The Poison Scorpion Leader's Ukaku fired several more crystals.
Akira had just dodged when the Poison Scorpion Leader appeared behind her and kicked out—
*Crack crack!*
*Boom!*
*Cough cough cough...*
Akira endured the intense pain to stand up, feeling her ribs; many were likely broken.
There might even be bones piercing her lungs, making her breathing extremely difficult.
She spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling slightly better.
"Is this the absolute gap in strength?"
Akira's figure was somewhat unsteady.
Her consciousness began to blur, and her body began to feel cold.
She wanted to raise her quinque, but found she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand.
"No, I can't give up!"
"I haven't completed my mission of exterminating all Ghouls..."
"Not yet..."
The Poison Scorpion Leader suddenly kicked out from behind again.
*Boom!!*
Akira crashed through a wall and slammed hard into a pile of screens.
In her daze, Akira seemed to hear an extremely familiar voice. "Monitoring room... monitoring room... why is this damn place built like a maze!"
"Huh?"
Akira struggled to open her eyes.
She felt she was hallucinating, actually hearing that guy's voice.
Looking closely, a pair of feet appeared in front of Akira.
She struggled to lift her head, seeing only a glare of light from above; the face of the person backlit was completely indistinguishable.
"You're in quite a pathetic state, Second Class Investigator Mado."
The man slowly crouched down, and Akira finally saw clearly.
Akuto was dangling a lollipop from his mouth, looking at her teasingly.
"You..."
"How can you be here?"
"Quick... *cough cough cough*... leave this place! There are Ghouls everywhere!"
Akira propped her rapier against the ground, forcing herself to stand up.
"Oh? Another Investigator comes to die? To have even lost your quinque, how tragic."
The Poison Scorpion Leader appeared not far away, his eyes full of mockery. "You, leave quickly..."
Akira's vision was blurred by blood.
"Fine, considering you helped me destroy the surveillance."
Akuto grabbed Akira's hand and draped it over his neck, then placed one hand at her knee and lifted gently.
Akira instinctively hugged Akuto's neck tightly.
With that, Akuto picked Akira up in a princess carry with one hand.
"Damn human!"
"Since you two are so close, then go to hell together!"
The Poison Scorpion Leader repeated his trick, spreading his Ukaku to fire a dense barrage of crystals.
Akuto's knees bent slightly.
"Ah!"
The next moment, amidst Akira's exclamation, Akuto's figure suddenly appeared at the Poison Scorpion Leader's side.
---
Read 40+ Chapter in advance.
Ko-fi(.)com(slash)averagebooklover(/)