I am a female swordsman.

Thinking this, she subconsciously glanced at Huang Quan's upper thighs. Since she had been wearing a black shirt and conservative black bottoms when she ran out, she couldn't see anything. But that didn't stop Igarashi from imagining things; her imagination was quite sharp. Huang Quan-sama had such a great figure, hehehehe…

'hopeless!'

Noticing the perverted gaze from Igarashi, Yomi snatched back her underwear and then kicked the two uninvited guests out.

I'm never wearing these underwear again. I'll pack them up and throw them away in a bit! Huang Quan felt a chill run down his spine whenever he thought about how his personal clothing had been touched by a female pervert.

'Contractor, your wounds…'

"Oh, it's okay."

Tamos suddenly appeared behind Huang Quan, his red eyes fixed on the wound on Huang Quan's jade-like foot. It was as if a perfect work of art had been brutally vandalized.

"Are you concerned about me?" Huang Quan asked, suddenly looking up at Tamos.

'If that's what you think, then so be it.' Tamos replied softly. What he really wanted to say was that small wounds, if ignored, could become deadly stings. But Huang Quan's question stopped him in his tracks, and he didn't want to continue. At some point, the feigning dead [Kekus] and [Galoa] both came to life.

"Well, you're really awkward." Reaching out, she hugged [Galoa] and fell to the ground. The purple, round demon eye symbol transformed into obvious joy, swelling and sinking in familiarly to perfectly catch Huang Quan. Lying in the Garoa-branded beanbag chair, Huang Quan casually tossed her underwear to Tamos.

"Destroy it from this world, leave no trace."

Chapter 135 Purge the Last Remains

The following day, the 11th district branch

"...In other words, only one finger is still on the run. Once we eliminate it and clear out the last stronghold, we can start the punitive expedition, right?" The office was filled with an extremely strong smell of smoke, and the extinguished cigarette butts piled up like a small mountain in the ashtray.

Marude's eyes were red.

In the past few days, in order to coordinate all the investigators to carry out the Scissors Plan and the investigation, he stayed up so late that his eyes were bloodshot, all in an effort to redeem himself.

"Yes, Marute Special Class!"

Takizawa Seidou and Nagachika Hideyoshi, who came to give the report, answered in unison.

The last stronghold… Marude unconsciously stroked his chin, his brain racing with habitual thinking these past few days. According to the intelligence processed by the CCG recently, the core members of [Aogiri Tree] seem to have vanished and are no longer present in Area 11, and the White Dove strongholds that they had taken are being recaptured one by one.

If the goal is to secure victory through stability, the next step is indeed to recapture the last stronghold.

With a snap, the windproof lighter was turned on.

Special Inspector Marude lit a cigarette with practiced ease. He remained silent, but couldn't help recalling his arrival in Area 11. The faces and voices of so many dedicated investigators were still vivid in his mind, and now they were all dead in the blink of an eye. As the commander, he was undeniably responsible!

After completing the punitive expedition and returning to headquarters, he will apologize to the Speaker.

But before that, he wouldn't be satisfied until he saw the Bronze Tree reduced to ashes with his own eyes.

"Since you've made the suggestion, you must have prepared relevant contingency plans. How do you plan to allocate the investigators in Area 11? The senior investigators all have their own responsibilities, right?"

"We hope that [Raven] will complete this task."

The respondent is Takizawa Ni-den.

"The Young Crows serve as the overt search force, while the Old Crows act as a covert force ready to strike at any time. With the final barrier breached, the enemy will inevitably take action. Our actions are swift enough that the Bronze Tree theoretically lacks sufficient reaction time. To buy time, they will undoubtedly deploy their superior forces." Using the Young Crows as bait and the Old Crows as the true trump card, this is a foolproof strategy to prepare for the final major battle before the punitive expedition.

The combat prowess of the [Raven] is undeniable. Whether it is the [Young Raven] that has just taken flight or the [Old Raven] that has already soared and hunted, they are exceptionally well-suited to the current situation.

This is the optimal solution given by Countermeasures Department 1, Takizawa, and Nagachika simultaneously.

Japan doesn't actually have many high-end combatants to offer. The other two are either Special Class or Quasi-Special Class, and both have their own important duties. In addition, headquarters does indeed intend to test the "Crow" program. Faced with the suggestions from these two capable subordinates, Marude Sai really couldn't refuse.

"Then you should inform Mado and the others, and tell them to do a good job."

Special Order Marute instructs the two teams of [Crow] to cooperate with Takizawa Santen to complete the final battle of the cleanup campaign.

"By the way, you're surprisingly capable. You were brought from District 20 by that guy Huang Quan, right? How about it, interested in further training?"

Hideyoshi Nagachika possesses exceptional information processing skills developed through self-taught learning.

If he could continue his studies in the CCG's Countermeasures Department, his intellectual achievements would undoubtedly reach an astonishing level. Marude, perhaps appreciating his talent, planned to do [Crow] a favor in advance; after all, they were both from the same faction, so there were no restrictions.

"Me?"

Somewhat surprised, Hideyoshi Nagachika's astonishment was only fleeting. This was his goal all along, so there was no reason for him to refuse, but he probably didn't want to come into Washuu's sight so soon.

………………

"New task, same old rules."

Handing the two documents to Amon and Yomi respectively, Mado Kureo seemed to be in a somewhat uneasy mood today. He didn't say much to his two beloved students, simply letting them read the documents themselves. Even the usually oblivious Amon noticed Mado's unusual heaviness today. Ever since Mado Akira joined [Crow], Mado Kureo's heaviness outside of work had become increasingly apparent.

Yamen gently touched Huang Quan's shoulder.

'what?'

'Mr. Mado seems off.'

After all, they were partners who had gone through life and death together many times. They didn't need words; they could roughly guess what the other wanted to say just by looking at each other's eyes. Huang Quan glanced at Yamen discreetly. She was not good at emotional communication, and seeing that her teacher clearly had something on her mind, she felt embarrassed to pry into her teacher's privacy.

Only you can do it.

Kotaro Amon nudged Yomi again. It was common knowledge that Mr. Mado loved and had high hopes for Yomi, so it would be best for Yomi to try to help Mr. Mado.

'Alright, don't get your hopes up too high...'

Seeing her partner Amon's unwavering seriousness, Huang Quan sighed inwardly. Actually, even without Amon's prompting, she wouldn't have said anything about how upset her teacher was, but Huang Quan felt she needed a more opportune moment.

Mado Kureo did not notice the subtle movements and glances between his two disciples.

His attention was already focused on the next task.

【Crow】once again accepted an extremely important mission, bringing the 11th District cleanup operation to a perfect close. This battle was of considerable importance, directly impacting the next phase of the 【Aogiri Tree】 campaign. His former superior, Marute, must have been under considerable pressure to send 【Crow】into the fray, coordinating with a large force to eliminate the last stronghold. The 11th District is now a mess; seeking glory is wishful thinking. Maintaining stability is a more practical approach.

As Mado Kureo walked along, lost in thought, a voice from behind him disrupted his train of thought.

"teacher."

"Oh, Yomi, what's the matter?" Behind her was her prized student, on whom she had placed high hopes. Mado stared at her with kind eyes, his eyes wide with disparity. In just a few months, he had grown to this extent; it was truly gratifying.

"Um……"

Huang Quan was momentarily speechless. Should she say, "Teacher, you seem unhappy, so I came to ask what's wrong?" or "Amon and I are both very worried about you, Teacher?" Neither option seemed quite appropriate, and Huang Quan couldn't think of anything nice to say at this moment. However, Mado Kureo noticed Huang Quan's slight embarrassment and kindly smiled understandingly.

"It's because of me that you've worried."

"That's not how it is, teacher."

"Hmm, let me check the time, it's still quite early. I'll go over to the fledgling crow's place later, have a cup of coffee, and listen to what my disciple wants to say to his teacher. Huang Quan, you won't refuse, will you?"

Chapter 136 No Longer Locked Up By It

Of course I wouldn't refuse, besides, that's the point anyway.

Having her inner intentions exposed, Huang Quan didn't act coy. She just felt that perhaps she had underestimated her teacher. After all, this respectable old man was a man of many worldly experience; how could he not see the concern hidden beneath Huang Quan's slight awkwardness?

Huang Quan was worried about Mado Kureo.

It's normal for investigators to die; no one can say for sure they won't.

That's why we must approach every mission with absolute perfection. We only have one life, and just like that, we only have one chance. If we were to die on a mission because we weren't in good condition, wouldn't that be too pathetic? These were the words that Mado Kureo said to Yomi before she officially began her first mission!

Leave no room for retreat, give it your all!

Cut through the thorns that cover the road!

"The most precious thing a person has is life, and everyone only has one life. That's what you taught me, teacher."

Inside a convenience store outside the CCG branch, Yomi took a slow sip of the coffee handed to her by her teacher, Mado. The coffee at this convenience store wasn't particularly flavorful, but the owner thoughtfully provided sugar cubes for customers to help themselves.

The pairing of Mado Kureo and Yomi is still quite eye-catching.

The few customers in the shop who were there to begin with quickly left upon seeing the white dove, a scene that left Huang Quan with nothing but an apologetic smile for the shop owner. The shop owner, however, showed no anger or disgust; instead, he kindly gave Mado and Huang Quan a thumbs-up and went off to watch TV with a cheerful smile.

How are you feeling?

"Ah...it's quite complicated."

Understanding the teacher's question, Huang Quan could only answer in this way. It was indeed quite complicated. Isn't that how humans are? They certainly admire ghoul investigators, but if they were to become investigators themselves or be affected by ghoul incidents, their attitude would become ambiguous.

Mado Kureo nodded, not pursuing the topic any further.

For some reason, perhaps because his daughter had joined [Crows], Mado Kureo, who frequently interacted with Mado Akira, clearly felt an invisible barrier between father and daughter. Both of them appeared to be more rational than emotional, keeping anything they wanted to say to themselves.

"I know I'm not a good father..."

Mado stirred his coffee with a troubled expression. He never considered himself a good father. Fortunately, his daughter inherited the best qualities of both him and Violet, and had never caused him any worry. But precisely because he didn't need to worry, his understanding of his daughter was also very limited.

It was Mado's good fortune to encounter Yomi.

"Teacher, wouldn't it be better to just say it directly?" Huang Quan gave a very straightforward answer that was very much in line with her style. If matters of the heart are complicated and tangled, it's better to cut the Gordian knot and lay it all out in the open.

"But wouldn't that be strange?"

Mado gestured with both hands, his smile tinged with the bitterness of coffee.

How easy is it?

While it would be satisfying to speak his mind directly, it was the uncertainty about the outcome that made Mado Kureo hesitate. He didn't want to hear the cold, sharp words from his daughter, yet he didn't regret his relentless hunting for the past ten years. Yomi's approach was undoubtedly the most rational.

It's best to resolve things quickly before they get out of control. However, the problem is that using rational methods to solve emotional issues often yields results that are different from what you expect.

"Fortunately, I don't have the same worries as you, teacher." A bitter smile also appeared on Huang Quan's face. She was no longer alone. Unbeknownst to her, a large group of people who could be called companions had gathered around her. The girl who once stood alone against the unknown and death was no more.

"It's amazing that a man like me, who is good for nothing but work, also has times when he's troubled by these things."

"This kind of teacher is even better!"

The disciple's smile appeared exceptionally beautiful in the morning sunlight. Perhaps never having imagined that the icy depths of the underworld could reveal such boundless warmth, Mado Kureo truly felt that clumsy attempt to comfort him. His chest, which had been chilled by the blood of ghouls, once again felt the warmth of family. Mado Kureo felt a tightness in his chest; the emotions that had been broken after his wife's death ten years ago seemed to be repaired in this moment.

"Am I really good enough?" Somewhat uncertain, Mado stared blankly at Yomi, whose smile was as warm as spring flowers.

"Of course, you are Mado Kureo." Mado Kureo, who is sincerely addressed as "senior" by many investigators, possesses an impressive intuition, and is the guide on her path as the "Sword Demon" Yomi, teaching her how to face vicious ghouls. Mado Kureo is like a teacher and a father to her.

"Hehehe, settle the bill and get ready."

"Ok."

"By the way, is the injury on your leg alright?"

"You're far from having your arms and legs broken, don't underestimate me, teacher."

Two figures in white trench coats walked out of the convenience store one after the other, each holding an unfinished cup of coffee. The girl's innocent and grateful smile was a rare and beautiful sight in this autumn day, and the man she was with seemed to have straightened out in the sunlight, looking as handsome and upright as he had in his youth.

………………