I am a female swordsman.

Chapter 112 Hero Saves the Beauty?

To be honest, Huang Quan loathed drunken lunatics; in her eyes, a person whose reason had been completely consumed by alcohol was like a gorilla.

It's not that Huang Quan doesn't drink alcohol.

For example, she would only sip some wines with a strong, lingering aftertaste. Everything has its limits; once a certain boundary is crossed, even a good thing can turn into a bad thing. The strong smell of alcohol made Huang Quan frown involuntarily. She forced herself to be patient and closed her eyes to rest again.

"Hey ho ho, beautiful, are you all alone? It's so late and your boyfriend isn't even going to walk you home... He's such a coward. I have a huge banana, wanna try some?"

His speech was slurred and somewhat slurred, and the strong smell of alcohol permeated the air as this rude man spoke.

'Scumbag.'

Silently cursing under her breath, Huang Quan remained with her eyes closed, contemplating the unfortunate situation of the short-haired woman beside her being harassed. She worried that the fear might leave her with psychological trauma, and Huang Quan was already considering how to teach these drunkards a lesson they would never forget.

As a ghoul investigator, her fighting skills are beyond question; she just lacks a good excuse to teach perverts a lesson.

As soon as the woman next to him cried for help, Huang Quan was ready to take action!

"Hey, Watanabe, don't scare them!"

"Haha, so stunningly beautiful~~"

"Hey, hey, hey, she's ignoring you! Look at you bunch of rude guys, you scared her!"

The carriage quickly became chaotic with shouting and yelling, and some passengers, sensing the danger, hurriedly moved to other carriages. With the recent poor security, some yakuza groups and biker gangs were taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble; if anyone got involved in this kind of thing, the police would be powerless to intervene.

Perhaps because the person he was trying to pick up ignored him, Watanabe felt embarrassed and a surge of anger welled up inside him for no reason!

"Woman! I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?!" Drunkard Watanabe slammed his hand against the carriage wall, his eyes wide with anger as he stared at the silent woman before him. He had long been disgusted by these investigators who frequently dealt with cannibalistic monsters. Did they really think they were so great just because they wore those overcoats? If they were so great, why were they letting those cannibalistic monsters wreak havoc and kill in Area 11!

"Ok?"

Huang Quan raised her eyelids, suddenly realizing something. That was, this audacious madman's target seemed to be...herself?

Don't these people have eyes?

Huang Quan's first reaction was that he must have made a mistake. After all, he was wearing the CCG's white coat uniform, and daring to provoke a ghoul investigator required more than just the courage to risk having his limbs broken.

"It's noisy."

Her clear voice carried a hint of warning, and the undisguised coldness and chilling light in her scarlet eyes were like icy water in the sweltering summer heat, causing Watanabe to instinctively take two steps back in fear. It was as if this beautifully seated, red-eyed girl concealed a terrifying, man-eating beast beneath her aloof and arrogant exterior!

"You, you...!"

Watanabe's drunken mind seemed to clear up a little, but being yelled at by a woman was an unspeakable humiliation. His friends, still unaware of the situation, laughed, which led the intoxicated Watanabe to a thought he hadn't even considered.

He's going to teach this woman a lesson!

"asshole!"

He took a step forward and slapped Huang Quan across the face! Watanabe's face was contorted with a mixture of fear and excitement, and the dopamine released by his brain gave him an unprecedented feeling of pleasure!

Snapped! ! !

Holding her beloved sword from its scabbard, Huang Quan was ready to thrust. But she stopped, for the drunkard's hand was seized by another, and with a swift turn, the man forced him to his knees, groaning in pain.

"You will no longer be protected by law for attacking a ghoul investigator."

The woman's voice, with its distinct intonation and sharp, dangerous gaze, instantly reminded Huang Quan of his mentor, Mado Kureo. They were so alike; their eyes were practically identical. Huang Quan recognized her immediately.

Although the two had never actually met, Huang Quan had seen her in a photo on the wall of Mado CCG headquarters office.

Akira Mado, Second Class Investigator.

"The teacher's daughter?" Huang Quan paused, not expecting to meet Mado Akira in Japan. No wonder she looked familiar when he got on the bus.

Akira Mado glanced at Yomi, her expression unreadable.

Mado Akira's attitude towards her father's recently lauded protégé was somewhat ambiguous, neither warm nor cold. She kicked the drunken madman aside, flicked her coat to reveal the sidearm hidden inside, and immediately scared the group of drunkards into scrambling to other carriages.

Silence fell instantly. Mado Akira's habit of brandishing a gun at the slightest provocation was quite to Yomi's liking.

"You just tried to break his bones, didn't you, Yellow Springs Third Class?"

"...What does this have to do with you, Mado...Second Class?" Perhaps because the other party's tone wasn't very friendly, Yomi emphasized her words a little.

She had indeed intended to break that rude madman's ribs, and if they dared to retaliate, she would add wrist and leg bones—not fatal, but enough to cause them pain they would never want to remember. She was already bloodthirsty from killing ghouls, and this scoundrel still dared to court death; Huang Quan didn't consider herself to have a good temper.

Akira Mado suddenly revealed a mysterious smile, her expression much like that of Kureo Mado when she first saw Yomi bar her fangs with great interest.

"I am a third-class student in the Underworld. I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Huang Quan is somewhat surprised. Please give me your guidance.

She suddenly recalled that long before she returned to District 20, there had been rumors at headquarters that they wanted to form more aggressive investigator teams with different models, such as the "Raven".

However, due to successive battles, various unforeseen events, and undercurrents, the expansion and division of [Raven] remained unimplemented. Mado and others didn't seem to care much about this, so it was left unresolved. Meanwhile, [Aogiri Tree]'s large-scale attack on the 11th Division, tantamount to a declaration of war, clearly alarmed the headquarters leadership, inadvertently accelerating the rollout of [Raven] mode.

When did Akira Mado come to Japan?

"Please give me your guidance, Mado, second class."

Their hands clasped together. Akira Mado raised an eyebrow, surprised. The Sword Demon's hand wasn't as rough as she had expected; instead, it felt like a warm, smooth piece of jade, irresistible to the touch.

Chapter 113 Let Me See

Akira Mado graduated with honors from the Ghoul Investigator Academy.

After graduation, she skipped the probationary investigator stage and directly joined the work of handling ghoul matters as a third-class investigator. In less than two years, she was promoted to second-class for her meritorious service. Both of her parents are powerful White Doves, and Akira Mado inherited the excellent genes of Kureo Mado and Misaki Mado.

Looks, ability, and brains!

She is undoubtedly outstanding! Even at the Ghoul Investigator Academy, which is full of talented people, she graduated with an absolute first place in every subject, crushing the second place!

Akira Mado is proud!

She deeply admired her father, who had always fought on the front lines against ghouls. In fact, she felt he had done everything a father and a husband should do. If she could, Akira Mado hoped that one day she could wield a Quinque and fight alongside her father, whose power was waning.

The Yellow Springs.

The name first came to Akira Mado's ears when it was mentioned casually by an investigator at headquarters.

The father actually recommended an ordinary person as an investigator?

She is still a female.

Undoubtedly, Akira Mado was uncomfortable at the time. In her eyes, these untrained ordinary people would only hold her father back and become a burden in the battle. Apart from being used as bait, they had no value and would die in the hunt sooner or later.

[Sword Demon] Huang Quan.

When that name was heard again, it was preceded by a fearsome title. The name of the Sword Demon, Huang Quan, had begun to emerge, while the "Crow," whose wings swept across Tokyo nights like a black cloud, had also stepped onto the Tokyo stage. Their names struck fear into the hearts of their enemies!

In addition to her displeasure, Akira Mado couldn't help but feel jealous and resentful towards Yomi, whom she had never met but was her father's disciple.

In her view, the so-called unparalleled swordsmanship that could kill ghouls without Quinque was just a gimmick. She was certain she could do better than the "Sword Demon" if she were by her father's side. Although they had never met or known each other, Mado Akira had already implicitly regarded Yomi as her rival.

She was determined to prove to her father that she was better than anyone else!

He inherited his mother's exceptional abilities and his father's control over Quink!

I am definitely the strongest!

[Sword Demon], a third-class investigator from the Underworld, successfully defeated the S-rank ghoul [Big Ghoul] and drove away the S-rank ghoul and half-ghoul [Jason]. He earned the White Wing Badge and the Silver Osmanthus Badge, becoming the most likely rising star investigator to represent an era after [White Reaper]. The name [Sword Demon] resounds throughout Tokyo's 24 wards.

When Akira Mado learned of this news, she locked herself in her room for a full hour.

That doesn't make sense...

How could an ordinary person be so strong? How did she manage to do things that even investigators who received specialized training couldn't? Or is it that such a despair-inducing genius truly exists in this world?

In this silent battle, one is already defeated before the acknowledged opponent even realizes it. After the sense of defeat dissipates, Akira Mado develops a strong curiosity about the [Sword Demon] and the [Crow].

CCG Headquarters Order.

Second-Class Investigator Akira Mado has completed his handover of duties at the Garrison Headquarters and is departing for Ward 11 to report to Senior Investigator Kureo Mado. His objective is to utilize the anticipated numerous battles against the [Aogiri Tree] as an opportunity to train more highly aggressive three-person [Crow] squads.

"As ordered!"

This order was given to Akira Mado by the headquarters high command shortly after the outbreak of the Aogiri Tree ambush in Area 11. A small number of highly skilled combat investigators and quick-thinking countermeasures investigators also received the order. Despite her complex inner turmoil, the outwardly mature and calm Akira Mado set off that very day.

Her first chance encounter with Huang Quan.

That's how it happened.

When she noticed that the Sword Demon maintained the same ruthless and decisive attitude towards ordinary people, she decisively took action and drove away the drunkards who were almost causing a major disturbance.

Tsk tsk tsk, teasing [Sword Demon] Huang Quan.

Regardless of whether this achievement can be accomplished, in the eyes of CCG investigators, anyone who dares to do this must be prepared to entrust their life to the blade.

They held each other's hands.

Standing at 1.64 meters tall, Akira Mado was wearing high heels, but when she looked at Yomi, she could only barely look him in the eye.

"I have long admired your name."

Huang Quan's lips curled up slightly. She thought Mado Akira's "I've long admired you" was just a polite remark. Mado Akira, who had been stationed at headquarters as a second-class officer, would never have paid attention to a mere third-class officer like her.

"My teacher mentioned you to me before."

"Oh?"

"He said you're very capable, quick-witted, and your skills are equally admirable." These words, which should have been a compliment, took on a completely different meaning when spoken by Huang Quan in an unusually cold tone.

Women's senses are always exceptionally sharp, and Akira Mado immediately sensed the competitive spirit emanating from Yomi.

Although [Sword Demon] always has a blank, expressionless face, Huang Quan can miraculously express his true feelings even without obvious changes in expression, tone of voice, or even verbal hints.

There was no malice intended; it was mostly meant as a joke.

Huang Quan had learned from her teacher Mado's occasional complaints that her daughter seemed somewhat resentful of her father, who rarely spent time at home, and didn't talk to him much. Indeed, after raising Mado Akira to school age, Mado Kureo sent her to the Ghoul Investigator Academy, dedicating himself even more fully to hunting ghouls. This was her teacher's family matter, and Huang Quan had no interest in interfering, but that didn't prevent her natural dislike for Mado Akira from decreasing.

Kureo Mado is a truly respectable man!

"Speaking of which? Mado, Class 2, on the same train, you wouldn't be going to the same place as me, would you?" Yomi glanced at the train route map and then gave an address.

"Coincidentally, that's also my destination tonight."

By a twist of fate, both Yomi and Akira Mado ended up at the temporary residence of the White Dove in Area 11. In fact, they were neighbors, living right next door. Yomi subtly pursed her lips; she had a bad feeling about the way Akira Mado was looking at her…

It looks like they're just curious enough to strip her naked and find out what's going on.

Unconsciously adjusting the sword he was carrying on his back, Huang Quan subconsciously moved a little further away from Mado Akira.