I am a female swordsman.

next moment!

The tail, shaped like a coiled dragon, spun 360 degrees in all directions before unleashing a counter-clockwise sweeping attack that pierced the air!

The tip of the tail easily tore apart an entire flock of unsuspecting white doves with a whooshing sweep, and the splattered blood and severed limbs made the already collapsing morale even more unbearable.

Tatara coldly surveyed the panicked investigators; his fighting style was always known for its terrifying intimidation effect. Fragile humans, witnessing the splattered blood and entrails of their own kind, would become utterly weak, like sheep in a pen, unable to do anything but bleat mournfully.

"Damn it!!"

An investigator wielding a katana named Quinque stared intently at the monster that had effortlessly taken away an entire squad of comrades. The monster's eerie tail whip possessed speed and power surpassing that of ordinary ghouls.

"Support! Support! Why hasn't the support arrived yet?!"

Gripping the katana in reverse and enraged, White Dove seized the opportunity during a gap in Tatara's attack and charged straight forward! In this critical situation, someone had to step forward to block this monster that was dealing a fatal blow to morale, otherwise the last layer of defense on the 19th floor would collapse!

The 11th District Command Center is located upstairs behind them. They will die here, they cannot retreat!

They died on the 19th floor, and the CCG owes them an explanation! If the ghouls destroyed the command post because of their rout, then these dead men owe an explanation to all their comrades! Because if the command post is destroyed by ghouls, it means that the scattered comrades in the 11th Ward will no longer receive any command from the branch and will be slaughtered by ghouls. No retreat! Absolutely no retreat! With this fearless courage, the tachi investigator narrowly avoided Tatara's whip strike!

And then, he swung his sword!

The swift, forward-moving slash from left to right, the sharp quinque blade, seemed to surprise Tatara.

clang!!

The clash between Kunk and his arm produced a piercing metallic clang, the force of the impact nearly causing the katana to fly out of his hand. Through the tattered white coat, the katana investigator seemed to glimpse a hint of crimson.

It's not a wound, it's a kagune!

What's going on? It's clearly a tail kagune, yet his kagune is also present on his hand?!

Is this all you've got?

The speed was too fast to react to. By the time the words reached the ears of the sword-wielding investigator, Tatara was already standing in front of him, grabbing his throat and lifting him up.

He felt as if his fragile throat was being gripped by iron clamps. The katana-wielding investigator's eyes grew bloodshot, and his survival instinct made him struggle futilely like a fish out of water. The hand that effortlessly lifted a large man was like a statue, unshaken no matter how much he struggled.

Tatara gradually tightened his right hand!

"Hehe...! Hehe!!!"

A mournful cry was squeezed out from deep within his throat, and the rhythmic gunfire that had been raging all around gradually subsided.

He dared not fire, fearing he might accidentally injure his colleague. Or perhaps it was watching Tatara tighten his right hand, listening to the painful, grating sound of his bones, that filled him with an uncontrollable fear. After all, the investigator wielding the Quinque katana was an outstanding investigator who had won the Osmanthus Medal, yet he couldn't even last a single round against this monster.

Click!

The soft, crisp sound was deeply imprinted in the hearts of everyone present. The neck was completely crushed, and the grim bone fragments pierced through the flesh. The powerless hand released the katana and fell heavily to the ground with a piercing crash.

This is a one-sided massacre...

"Get out of here, you obstruction." With a disdainful glance at the investigators who were dominated by fear, Tatara tossed over the investigator's corpse as if showing off.

The sight of her colleague's unseeing, grotesque face caused a female investigator to let out a piercing scream, dropping her weapon and fleeing in a disheveled manner.

But the next moment, the female investigator who had just run up there tumbled down as if she had been attacked.

"Waaaaah!! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!!"

Looking up, she saw a gleaming sword blade! The blade, imbued with a chilling killing intent, seemed as if fresh blood had just been wiped clean, possessing a terrifying and eerie aura! The sword's wielder had one foot planted on her chest, his scarlet eyes fixed on the menacing Tatara.

"Anyone who deserts in the face of battle shall be killed."

The investigator, who had come down a step later, issued a stern rebuke.

Without hesitation, the steel-slaying sword thrust forward, the swift and decisive execution of the deserter immediately quelling the near-collapse of morale. Taking advantage of this opportune moment, the investigator descending from the 20th floor issued his orders, the powerful command reawakening his resolve.

"Everyone, fully cooperate with District 20's support team in fighting the enemy at Huangquan Third Division. Anyone who disobeys will be..."

The investigator pulled hard on his pistol, revealing a resolute ruthlessness in his expression!

"...Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot!"

[Sword Demon] Huang Quan vs. [Tatara], a senior executive of Aogiri Tree, a thrilling battle is about to begin!

Chapter Ninety-Five: Facing an SS-Rank!

Neither Huang Quan nor Tatara are the type of people who like to talk nonsense.

Upon encountering each other on the battlefield, their reactions were remarkably similar. Both ignored all other factors, their gazes fixed intently on the source of the other's intense sense of danger.

Silence!

It was as if the two protagonists had appeared specifically for this battlefield stage, both maintaining a deathly stillness. It was clear that Tatara, who had effortlessly defeated the white dove just moments before, was now genuinely serious. If the enemy were this woman before him, she was someone he needed to treat with utmost care!

All the ghouls who underestimated the [Sword Demon] are dead!

Tatara's dark red eyes were fixed on Yomi's gleaming sword, while Yomi's gaze was drawn to his kagune, which had somehow retracted into his body.

SS-rank ghoul, kagune type is tail-type kagune...

'He put away his kagune?'

As if realizing something, Huang Quan's previously serene and magnificent crimson pupils contracted slightly. Completely without warning, skipping the charging process, Huang Quan's transformation from utter stillness to extreme movement was unpredictable. The deadly sword, which had been slicing through the air with a slight hiss, retracted imperceptibly below!

Almost the instant Huang Quan suddenly lunged forward, the original location suddenly exploded!

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, a chaotic shadow resembling a giant python could be vaguely seen!

Using his tail-like kagune to pierce through floors, Tatara's cunning and cold arrogance formed a stark contrast. Even Yomi only realized the possibility of a sneak attack when she noticed the unnatural tremors of the floor beneath her feet just before the attack was about to take place; this monster's control over its attack intentions was simply too good.

Clang!

The gleaming sword, as steady as Mount Tai, rushed towards Tatara in the blink of an eye, its kagune constantly crisscrossing and thrusting out from the floor, narrowly pursuing the oncoming Yomi.

But they were never able to catch up with the incredibly fast Huang Quan!

As if completely unaware of the tails that were relentlessly pursuing her from behind, Huang Quan's gaze remained calm and serene, and even when her silver hair narrowly missed her several times, she never wavered.

Facing the oncoming, cold light of the flying star, Tatara swung his hand and slammed it straight at the iron-slicing blade! He had heard many rumors about the [Sword Demon], the most famous of which was his merciless blade that could kill ghouls even if they weren't Quinques. Tatara wanted to see if this was true!

Sizzle...!

The moment the blade made contact with flesh, an indescribable, intense pulling sound reverberated and echoed.

A hint of emotion finally flickered across Tatara's arrogant and confident expression. In the blink of an eye, he was wounded. A large gash appeared on his long, well-proportioned hand, and blood slowly flowed along the lines of his palm. The long-lost stinging pain ignited a fighting spirit within him.

Having passed each other and completed his probing, Huang Quan stopped on a pillar in the hall.

'Such strong defense!'

Her sword's upward thrust only caused a shallow wound; the SS-rank ghoul's physical strength was truly surprising to Huang Quan.

Although she didn't use her full strength during the test, her rich experience in chopping ghouls clearly indicated that Tatara's defense was incredibly strong. By extension, the hardness of his kagune must be even greater. This obscure feeling reminded Yomi of her not-so-pleasant first experience with a ghoul.

If we can't break through the defenses, that's not good news!

"shooting!"

Taking advantage of the fact that Yomi had temporarily distracted Tatara, the investigators, armed with yukata guns or special ammunition, immediately began suppressive fire.

Such attacks still posed a certain threat to Tatara, forcing him to divert some of his attention to control his kagune to block attacks from all directions.

Seeing that her comrades and colleagues had diverted Tatara's attention and tied down the most troublesome tail, Yomi once again drew her sword and leaped forward. Her movements were incredibly nimble, her trajectory unpredictable, like a swallow soaring against the wind, her agile figure sometimes veering to the left, sometimes to the right, forcing Tatara to be careful.

bass……!

With his right hand, covered in kagune and resembling an armored monster, reaching out and grabbing, while his tail kagune lashed wildly behind him, Tatara entered a half-kakuja form, resembling a humanoid beast, and engaged Yomi in a fierce battle amidst the chaotic hall.

The overwhelming, brutal aura made Huang Quan feel as if she were facing some prehistoric beast. Engaging in combat at such close range was undoubtedly a huge test of Huang Quan's reaction speed. Fortunately, it didn't exceed her capabilities, and with several armed investigators around her providing additional support, Huang Quan was able to dodge and parry Tatara's fierce attacks!

The battle between [Sword Demon] and [Tatara] on the 19th floor appeared perilous to onlookers.

Her tall, slender figure, facing the half-Kakuja Tatara, was like a lone boat tossed about in a storm. Sword light swirled and coiled, relentlessly striking at the enemy's vital points not covered by his kagune, controlled by Yomi.

The sword flashed with a sharp, gleaming arc of light, its intricate and tense swordsmanship possessing a pattern difficult for ordinary people to fathom. It sliced ​​towards Tatara's eyes, ribs, or joints. Strike and retreat immediately, giving Tatara no chance to retaliate, Huang Quan abandoned her usual swift, precise, and ruthless killing techniques, choosing instead to maneuver with exquisite skill!

Huang Quan knew very well that Tatara was definitely hiding a deadly move!

Just like she also retains some powerful sword skills!

'He must have had some reservations about choosing a half-Kakuja form instead of a full-fledged Kakuja.'

Like dancing on the tip of a steel blade, Huang Quan maintained her calm and strategic thinking amidst the intense and fierce battle. She successfully disrupted Tatara's momentum with each parry and counterattack, preventing the savage, man-eating beast from defeating her slender, entangled figure!

Working together with his colleagues was like weaving an invisible net, which, with its stretching and pulling, firmly restrained Tatara.

The rhythm was absolutely perfect!

The investigators who were coordinating with Yomi's attack could clearly feel that her cold and deadly swordsmanship always managed to force Tatara into a disadvantageous position! The morale, which had been collapsing and forcibly suppressed, miraculously rebounded rapidly. Then, the sword demon Yomi exuded a strong sense of composure with every move she made. Her agile figure as she wielded her sword on the battlefield was that of a true swordsman!

The investigators who had the privilege of witnessing the White Reaper in action felt it even more intensely!

[Sword Demon] is already a rising new moon, radiating a powerful brilliance that is completely different from that of Arima Kishou, who is like a blazing sun!

A cold, sharp glint, like a mirror hanging high! Man-eating demons, lambs to the slaughter!

Author's Note:

P.S.: There's a double monthly pass event at the end of the month! Since I've been updating so diligently, could you give me some monthly passes?

Chapter Ninety-Six: A Dilemma

The SS-class ghoul Tatara was successfully intercepted in the lobby on the 19th floor.

The "Sword Demon" from Ward 20, with the cooperation of the existing investigators in the branch, tenaciously intercepted and killed Tatara. This rare piece of good news was a real relief to Marute, who was feeling like he was sitting on a hot stove. He still had one last reserve team, and if the "Sword Demon" couldn't come to the rescue in time, he would have no choice but to send it into battle.

"Mado, you have truly trained a fine disciple."

With these thoughts in mind, Marude Sai subtly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Having finally dealt with the difficult issue of "Tatara", Marude did not show any relief. On the contrary, his expression became even more serious and cautious!

"What exactly is that thing?"

At this moment, in the command post on the 21st floor, most of the surveillance cameras on each floor were black. A large portion of them had been destroyed by the shockwave during the explosion. However, before the explosion was carried out, the members of the Countermeasures Section 2 in the command post saw another ghoul following Tatara.

She's like a ghost!

Sometimes it appears, sometimes it disappears, and occasionally it deliberately gets extremely close to the surveillance camera, grabs the camera as if it can see through the lens the people sitting in the command center on the 21st floor.

Aomon Tree cadre [Aite].

A petite figure, completely wrapped in bandages, embodied a perfect blend of ghoul ruthlessness and childlike innocence, presenting humanity with an indescribable terror. In the brief remnants of the surveillance footage, Eto only attacked once, and it was that one attack that made Marude and the others realize that Eto, this ghost-like figure who left no trace, was no less dangerous than Tatara.