Slaughter's massive body slowly stepped into this sea of blood, the viscous blood submerging his enormous claws.
He seemed unsatisfied, glancing at the blood-stained walls, and a mischievous thought formed in his mind.
He extended a scarlet, blood-soaked claw and slowly began to write on the relatively clean wall opposite the control panel.
Screeech—Screeech—
Accompanied by the harsh sound of his claw scraping against the metal wall, the still-wet blood flowed down the claw marks, forming twisted letters: C A R N A G E.
When the last letter, 'E,' was completed, Slaughter looked at his 'masterpiece' with satisfaction—the wall, stained with blood and inscribed with 'Carnage.'
He let out a satisfied growl, turned around, stepped over the piled bodies and flowing blood, his massive claws making squelching sounds as they pressed into the viscous blood.
Upon reaching the doorway, scarlet tentacles extended, wrapping around the stunned Kirishima Arata.
Slaughter's massive body once again squeezed through the shattered doorframe, carrying the stench of blood, and soared into the night sky outside Kukulia, disappearing into the darkness.
A few minutes later.
Kukulia, Temporary Control Room.
Urgent and heavy footsteps echoed through the dilapidated corridor as Shinohara Yukinori, leading a team of weary but still vigilant Search Officers, finally arrived at the area of the temporary control room.
The air here was filled with an overwhelmingly nauseating smell of blood, more than ten times stronger than other parts of the battlefield.
When they turned the last corner and saw the destroyed alloy door, everyone's heart sank.
"Alert!" Shinohara Yukinori's voice was grave.
He gripped the cracked oniyamada ichigo in his hand, signaling his team to spread out.
They cautiously stepped into the control room, and then, everyone froze at the doorway as if petrified.
The scene before them completely subverted their understanding of the word "慘烈" (tragic/horrific).
Damaged electronic screens flickered with electrical sparks, shattered limbs and remains crushed into pulp by immense force were smeared haphazardly in every corner, and the strong scent of blood was enough to make one faint... Everywhere their eyes could see was still-liquid dark red.
"Ugh—!" A young Search Officer could no longer hold it in and bent over, vomiting violently.
Even the battle-hardened Search Officers looked pale, struggling to suppress their discomfort.
Shinohara Yukinori suppressed the turmoil within him, his gaze meticulously sweeping over this slaughterhouse.
Then, his eyes were drawn to the relatively clean wall opposite the control panel.
Amidst the overwhelming scarlet, that wall appeared particularly glaring.
Not because it was clean, but because a large, twisted word was written on it in still-wet blood: C A R N A G E.
Every blood-red letter was shocking.
"Carnage... Slaughter..." Shinohara Yukinori murmured the name.
He looked at the bloody word, then surveyed the room, which seemed to be soaked in a sea of blood, and a chill ran up his spine.
Shinohara Yukinori stood in silence, his face grim, his fists clenched, knuckles white from the effort.
For that scarlet monster, this was indeed not a battle, but a one-sided Ghoul.
...
Under the night sky.
Slaughter flapped his newly grown, enormous bat-like wings, flying through the night sky at an astonishing speed.
The strong airflow whistled past, and the icy night wind failed to dispel the heavy scent of blood on him.
Kirishima Arata, whose waist was wrapped by scarlet tentacles, struggled to breathe in the biting cold wind.
His face was pale from weakness, and deep within his eyes, an emotion of disbelief surged.
The bloody Slaughter in the control room just now, even for him, who was also a Ghoul, was shocking.
"Just now..." Kirishima Arata raised his voice in the strong wind, trying to keep his tone steady, "The one who abducted Ayato... was the One-Eyed Owl?"
He Xi Qian Yu's consciousness took over his body, and his calm voice drowned out the wind:
"Mr. Kirishima, your judgment is correct; that was indeed the One-Eyed Owl."
Upon confirmation, the worry in Kirishima Arata's eyes deepened: "The Owl... why did it capture Ayato?"
"This..." He Xi Qian Yu was silent for a brief moment.
He was deliberating whether to tell Kirishima Arata what those 'social studies' his son was involved in truly meant.
After a moment of hesitation, he finally chose to tell Kirishima Arata the truth.
"Actually, Ayato and the One-Eyed Owl are in league," he paused, "The One-Eyed Owl is the leader of the Bronze Tree, and Ayato is a cadre of the Bronze Tree."
"What?!" Kirishima Arata's body trembled violently, even causing the scarlet tentacles wrapped around him to sway, almost throwing him off.
Ayato is a cadre of the Bronze Tree? A cadre of the Ghoul organization that attacked Kukulia?
Kirishima Arata could not believe it.
In his memory, Ayato was still a well-behaved, obedient child who needed his protection.
After a long while, Kirishima Arata sighed deeply.
It's normal for children to have their own ideas as they grow up.
As a father, he was now more concerned about Ayato's safety.
"Ayato will be fine, I promise."
He Xi Qian Yu seemed to read his thoughts.
"Now, more importantly, Dong Xiang is still waiting for you at the coffee shop."
The name "Dong Xiang" was like a pause button, and all of Kirishima Arata's thoughts instantly stopped.
Yes, he still had a daughter...
Slaughter's massive body adjusted its direction in the air, its bone wings flapping, carrying it at an even faster speed towards a specific direction.
...
Anteiku Coffee Shop, back alley.
A faint hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, but it couldn't dispel the heavy darkness.
The back alley of the Anteiku Coffee Shop was shrouded in shadows, with only a faint light emanating from a window on the second floor, indicating that someone had been awake all night.
A huge shadow, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, landed with a crash in the shadows of the coffee shop's back alley, stirring up a circle of dust.
The scarlet, viscous substance rapidly contracted like a living thing, revealing He Xi Qian Yu's original form.
Kirishima Arata's body was still trembling slightly; the long period of imprisonment and intense emotional fluctuations had left him extremely weak.
He Xi Qian Yu supported Kirishima Arata, habitually reaching for the coffee shop key in his pocket, preparing to open the door.
However, just as his fingertips touched the cold metal of the key—
"Click... Creak—"
The back door was pulled open from the inside.
Dong Xiang's hair was somewhat disheveled, draped over her shoulders; she was still wearing thin loungewear, her lips had lost their color from tension and exhaustion, and her characteristic purple eyes were now bloodshot, clearly having not closed all night.
The loud thud in the back alley was the first signal she had caught after waiting all night.
She almost rushed downstairs on instinct.