Chapter 88: Turning the Tables

CCG and ghouls began exchanging fire at medium range.

The ghouls in the Bronze Tree outpost clearly had the advantage; their kagune took the shape of shields, each studded with small holes that allowed firing while still blocking bullets.

CCG casualties began to mount; within less than five minutes of exchange, dozens of combatants were dead or wounded.

Maruhandai watched this scene on his display screen, his expression darkening.

“Why aren’t we dominating in firepower?”

His aide quickly replied.

“The enemy has kagune shields—they’re extremely tough.”

Maruhandai snorted coldly and stood up, walking toward the outside of the command vehicle.

“Bang.”

Maruhandai kicked open the rear door of the vehicle, ignoring the hail of bullets around him, snatched a rifle from a nearby investigator, and fired several precise bursts toward the Bronze Tree outpost.

“Tap-tap-tap…”

Every three bullets Maruhandai fired, one ghoul inside the outpost dropped dead.

This terrifying marksmanship caused the ghouls to instinctively duck back behind cover; their firepower noticeably weakened.

“Men, give me—”

Just as Maruhandai was about to shout, a familiar roar echoed from nearby.

Maruhandai turned his head stiffly toward the source of the noise.

Suzuki Juzo was riding a brand-new motorcycle, revving the throttle hard.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing to my motorcycle?”

Maruhandai’s voice was frantic.

Suzuki Juzo grinned with delight, his eyes crinkled shut.

“Just borrowing it.”

With that, Suzuki Juzo twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle roared off.

“Stop!!”

Suzuki ignored Maruhandai’s wailing and sped the motorcycle straight toward the Bronze Tree outpost.

“Hey, wait, hey, hey~!”

Maruhandai was babbling incoherently, his face twisted in anguish; Su Xiao even saw tears glistening in Maruhandai’s eyes.

Su Xiao was puzzled—why had Maruhandai brought a motorcycle on this mission? For emergency escape? Given Maruhandai’s personality, it wasn’t impossible.

Suzuki rode the motorcycle up a steep hill.

“Boom!”

An explosion erupted—Maruhandai’s motorcycle was destroyed. Suzuki, using the momentum, charged violently into the Bronze Tree outpost, sprayed gunfire, and cleared every firing position inside.

Shards of the motorcycle scattered everywhere; Su Xiao clearly saw Maruhandai’s tears streaming uncontrollably.

“My globally limited-edition motorcycle…”

Maruhandai sniffed, wiping the tears from his face.

Although Suzuki Juzo had destroyed his motorcycle, he had also breached the outer defenses of the Bronze Tree outpost.

“Charge!”

After a hoarse, desperate roar, Maruhandai collapsed to his knees, utterly drained.

A large group of CCG combatants surged into the Bronze Tree outpost.

“Maruhandai, I’m heading to my assigned position.”

Su Xiao walked past Maruhandai.

Maruhandai, who had been kneeling, lifted his head to look at Su Xiao.

“I’m counting on you for the rear—don’t let any ghouls slip away in the chaos. I’ve already arranged the bomb disposal team you mentioned; they’re now moving under the cover of the main force, searching for possible explosives.”

Before the mission, Su Xiao had warned Maruhandai that the Bronze Tree outpost might be rigged with numerous explosives: once CCG forces entered, the ghouls would retreat through the back exit and detonate them.

After hearing Su Xiao’s “guess,” Maruhandai didn’t hesitate—he immediately requested a bomb disposal team from headquarters.

As a battlefield commander, Maruhandai took every potential threat seriously, especially one as plausible as this.

In the original story, Bronze Tree did plant explosives; Su Xiao knew this, and so could the Ghoul faction’s Contracted Ones—meaning they’d realize the explosives had been exposed.

With the bomb threat neutralized, it would come down to a straight fight of strength—victory would depend on each side’s skill.

Su Xiao walked slowly into the Bronze Tree outpost, avoiding the crowded upper levels, heading instead to the back entrance.

He intended to block the retreating ghouls there.

A night breeze carried a faint scent of blood; gunfire and screams echoed throughout the outpost, yet the back entrance remained eerily silent.

Su Xiao leapt onto a three-meter concrete beam and sat quietly, waiting.

With his current physical condition, three meters was nothing—though saying “nothing” was a bit arrogant; let’s call it “moderate.”

For now, few ghouls would emerge from the back entrance; the surroundings were utterly quiet.

Faint footsteps approached—ghouls were coming.

“Oh my~… I seem to have encountered a troublesome opponent.”

A ghoul in a pink top, wearing gold-rimmed sunglasses, stepped out of the darkness.

The newcomer dressed in an androgynous style, moved with exaggerated flair, like a drag performer.

“Unexpected bonus.”

Su Xiao leapt down from the beam, rolled his shoulders, and advanced toward the ghoul with Zhanlongshan in hand.

“If I recall correctly, you’re Nico, an SS-class ghoul, a member of the Joker.”

Hearing Su Xiao’s words, Nico’s expression changed—the casual demeanor vanished.

“You know about the Joker? I didn’t want to fight you, but now I’ll have to kill you.”

Nico’s crimson eyes flared; a kagune emerged from the base of his spine, shaped like a scale kagune.

According to the original story’s intelligence, Nico was no ordinary SS-class ghoul.

His regeneration was monstrous—he’d once been stabbed through the abdomen by Katsuragi with one hand, yet recovered instantly.

Nico kicked off his high heels and sprinted toward Su Xiao.

Su Xiao held Zhanlongshan horizontally before him, eyes locked on Nico.

Nico closed the distance in a few strides, then kicked upward at Su Xiao’s head; Su Xiao sidestepped, then spun and delivered a sharp kick to Nico’s abdomen.

Su Xiao didn’t draw his blade—he kept Zhanlongshan ready to block Nico’s kagune.

Except for a few rare ghouls, most had abysmal close-combat skills.

When fighting ghouls, focus on their kagune—they may not have special abilities, but they’re deadly.

True to form, after being kicked back two steps, Nico’s kagune whipped around and lashed toward Su Xiao’s neck.

Gripping Zhanlongshan with both hands, Su Xiao took a deep breath and swung with full force at Nico’s kagune.

“Slish.”

Nico’s kagune snapped cleanly; most of it flew far away.

“Ahh~.” Nico let out a trembling cry, his face twisted in an expression almost like ecstasy.

“This is~… so good!”

Nico showed no sign of injury; instead, he lunged at Su Xiao, completely indifferent to the wound.

Su Xiao ignored Nico’s bizarre scream and swung Zhanlongshan twice.

“Slish. Slish.”

Nico’s arm and most of his shoulder were severed—but Su Xiao frowned; he felt no solid resistance, as if he’d cut through liquid.

Nico stepped back two paces; the severed kagune had already regenerated, wrapping around the floating arm and shoulder.

He pressed the severed limbs against the wound—gurgling~ dark red fluid surged, and his injuries healed.

Nico’s regeneration was nearly as monstrous as Yarou’s.

“Again.”

Su Xiao lowered his eyelids—ordinary slashes couldn’t hurt Nico.

Faint blue arcs flickered across Zhanlongshan’s blade—Qinggangying activated.

Since normal strikes couldn’t wound him, he’d burn the enemy’s internal energy, using true damage to break him.

PS: (It’s been several days since I asked for votes—please drop a recommendation.)