I am a female swordsman.

dong dong dong...

A soft knock reached the ears of Akira Mado, who was busy dealing with the final tasks of the mopping-up operation. She did not get up, nor did she stop writing.

"The door was unlocked."

Click!

The figure that pushed open the door made Akira Mado stop writing. She hadn't expected her father, with whom she didn't usually communicate much, to suddenly come looking for her. In a daze, Akira Mado felt as if she were seeing her father from the past, the man who would always carry her to watch summer fireworks, a happy smile on his face.

"Father... Lord Mado, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Xiao, I have something to give you."

"Is it a document? I haven't finished the initial sorting yet, and I'm not clear about the situation at the end of the cleanup campaign. If it's a document related to this, that would be great..." Mado Akira's first thought was that Mado Kureo had come to deliver a document. After all, the fledglings and the old crows were still quite unfamiliar with each other's cooperation. If there was a document in advance to explain the cooperation, they wouldn't be in a mess on the battlefield.

Mado Kureo waved his hand, signaling Mado Akira to quiet down.

"No, Xiao, it's this one."

He opened his palm, revealing a sparkling ring.

"This is..." Akira Mado hesitated, her eyes filled with disbelief. It was her mother, Miyako Mado's, keepsake, and now her father was going to hand it over to her?

“I’m no longer locked up by it… Also, I’ll be going home for dinner more often from now on.”

Author's Note:

P.S.: This world will officially end after the final major plot development in the Ghoul world. I should be able to finish it by the end of the month. Since it's the first world, I got a bit carried away and wrote it a bit long and drawn out. I'll be more careful with the later worlds. Also, I'll humbly accept any suggestions regarding the plot progression, but if you start cursing in the review section, don't blame me for banning and deleting your comments (I'm angry). Also, three chapters today!

Chapter 137 Unacceptable

Shock, surprise, shock... and even more disappointment!

Akira Mado abruptly stood up, slamming her hand on the table. She felt a surge of anger at being abandoned and mocked. This intense anger caused her to crumple the document in her hand into a grotesque, twisted shape. She shouted her questions at the man who had once been the most respected and admired of hers!

"What are you talking about?! What do you mean by no longer being locked up by it?!"

That ring was a keepsake from her mother, Mado Weide.

She had always been carefully treasured by her father, Mado Kureo, and kept in a pocket close to his heart. Mado Kureo valued her as much as his own life! It was almost equivalent to her mother, Mado Kaori!

"Xiao, calm down."

"I can't calm down! Tell me, tell me, have you betrayed us, forgotten your mother's death!" Akira Mado, who was out of control, roared loudly in the office. What she couldn't accept was the betrayal.

Her mother, Mado Mii, was a truly qualified investigator. Ten years ago in the 20th ward, she fought bravely against the SSS-class ghoul "Owl" to cover the retreat of the other investigators and died. Her body was so badly mutilated that it was only identified by her wedding ring and DNA testing.

"That's not true!"

Looking at his daughter teetering on the edge of losing control, Mado Kureo could understand the turbulent emotions swirling within her at that moment.

If Mado Kureo hadn't met Yomi, who shared similar experiences and lived so beautifully and authentically despite adversity, she wouldn't have realized that she had been excessively distorted by hatred. Of course, this doesn't mean forgetting or forgiving hatred, but rather no longer being enslaved by it.

"My desire for revenge against [Owl] and my hatred for ghouls remain unchanged! But I've come to realize that it's because I no longer want to see innocent people become food for ghouls that I risked my life to fight! Your mother fought those terrifying monsters for the same reason!"

People enslaved by hatred cannot live their own lives!

After realizing this through the underworld, Mado Kureo's spirit is undergoing a complete transformation. After ten years of suffering, he finally emerges from his cocoon, no longer enslaved by hatred, but rather having mastered it, completing a metamorphosis of the soul!

Kureo Mado is still the same Kureo Mado who has zero tolerance for ghouls and a zero-tolerance attitude towards them.

"I'm sorry, I need to calm down." Understanding what her father wanted to say, Akira Mado forced herself to calm down and hurriedly walked out of the office.

She needed some time to calm down and reflect on how much she had misunderstood her father because of her longing for him.

Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding.

Amon Kotaro witnessed Mado Akira's hurried departure and noticed that his teacher's daughter seemed to have tears in her eyes. Scratching his head, Amon subconsciously thought of his partner Yomi's serene yet disdainful beautiful face. Having been repeatedly mocked by Yomi for his low emotional intelligence, Amon felt a growing anxiety.

After thinking about it, I decided to go and see for myself...

Otherwise, if anything unexpected happens, he would be letting his mentor down.

………………

"Lord Yomi! Lord Yomi! Look! This blond brat has been completely defeated by me, oh hahaha!" With a graceful and elegant sword flourish, Igarashi covered his mouth with one hand and let out a smug smile.

"Shut up, bespectacled girl! Don't get too cocky!" The blond boy, who had just lost the daily contest, yelled in a bad mood. He had only been careless for a moment and let the bespectacled girl be smug for once.

"Go home and cry, you brat!"

"I'll beat you to a pulp, you bespectacled woman!"

These two were practically sworn enemies; whenever they met, they were either arguing and bickering or on the verge of a fight. Both of them were also a bit of a show-off, especially when there were onlookers, at which point their antics would escalate even further. Huang Quan, who was observing from the edge of the arena, was busy taking notes and paid no attention to the two.

Igarashi Kamui is skilled with a longsword, though his strength is relatively weak. His flexibility and speed are both excellent. His swordsmanship is characterized by its focus on explosive power, and he is particularly adept at iaido slashes.

Simply put, Igarashi is a degraded version of Yomi.

One person should be able to handle Rank A ghouls.

Hilde and Quink have a high synchronization rate, and both their strength and defense are excellent. Their fighting style is rather rough due to its nature, making them particularly prone to causing ripple damage to those around them.

Teaming up with Hilde is no easy task.

Judging from the actions of the "Young Crows" in Project Scissors, Hilde has a tendency towards individual heroism, and Igarashi shares this flaw. Going solo to show off might seem cool and stylish, but it's actually extremely irresponsible. With a slight frown, Yomi held her pen in her mouth, somewhat troubled about how to correct these two.

Beat him up?

Violence may solve many problems, but it cannot solve all of them. The two beside him were arguing more and more fiercely, seemingly ready for a second round. The noise was making him uncomfortable, and suddenly a thick, murderous aura flashed in the [Sword Demon's] crimson eyes!

"Quiet."

With just two simple words, Igarashi and Hilde obediently shut their mouths.

The Sword Demon's exceptionally cold and sharp aura pressed down, leaving no room for negotiation. Judging from Huang Quan's effortless beating of them during their first meeting, he clearly hadn't used his full strength yet. Before such a swordsman with explosive combat power, anyone would instinctively learn basic manners.

"You two should try to accept, understand, and tolerate each other's shortcomings. Only in this way can a group exert a power that transcends the individual." Huang Quan shook his clenched fist, trying to give the two some motivational advice.

"Lord Huang Quan is right!"

"Ah."

The reply was completely insincere and uninteresting; as she watched her unusually calm expression, the pen in Huang Quan's hand twisted into a pretzel shape...

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll take good care of this blond brat! Don't worry!"

"The cow-eyed girl with glasses is actually not a bad person, hahaha!"

Under the gaze of Yomi's scarlet eyes, which seemed devoid of all emotion, Igarashi and Hilde instinctively moved closer together. Although Yomi usually had a cold and expressionless demeanor, those who knew her well could still tell when she was angry and when she was happy.

Eyes that slant upwards and sparkle mean happiness, while a blank expression means anger.

In a more serious case, he'd draw his sword with a stern face...

"As an investigator, I always insist on persuading people with reason. Do you have anything else to say?" With a flat tone, Huang Quan casually tossed the twisted pen away.

"If you don't have any, then get serious, otherwise if the cleanup operation encounters dangerous ghouls... you'll die."

Chapter 138 Inevitable Success

The date for the final battle in the purge has been set.

The specifics remain confidential, but all the investigators have received their assignments. This naturally includes Huang Quan himself. As an important force in the purge, both the fledglings and the old crows will be deployed to the battlefield, although publicly it will be claimed that the old crows have been temporarily transferred to another mission.

It's just a deception.

Basically everything is ready... no, there's one thing Huang Quan hasn't done yet, something related to the battle.

Write a will.

Before each major mission, ghoul investigators write their wills and hand them over to the CCG for safekeeping. If an investigator dies, their will is either opened by a designated person or handled by the CCG. Yomi had written a will before, but it was all just empty words of thanks to her teacher and partner.

What should I write about?

like……

There's not much to write about someone with my personality, so sentimental words are out of the question—that's not something [Sword Demon] Huang Quan would ever say. As for my last wishes, I've already made arrangements for my assets in the bank; I have to thank the bank for its comprehensive system for dealing with investigators.

So, I don't know what to write anymore.

Huang Quan's eyes were unreadable, and she suddenly felt a little anxious. She placed the suicide note and pen on her desk, intending to go for a walk, and ran into Yongchika Hideyoshi as soon as she stepped out.

He was looking down as he quickly tucked a document into his pocket and walked away.

'That document…'

Her previously calm and clear eyes suddenly focused. Huang Quan clearly remembered that the document should be the operational arrangement document handed over by Takizawa San-san today. Theoretically, Yongjian should not have been qualified to access it due to his position, but because he was highly regarded by Marude, he could directly learn a lot of operational details.

Watching Yongjin's hurried departure, Huang Quan suddenly smiled in a mysterious way.

She contacted Takizawa Seidou directly. In the exceptionally cool autumn breeze, Yomi's silver hair and the hem of her trench coat swayed gently.

"Hello, is this Takizawa Ni-san...? Yes, it's me... I have something I'd like you to keep an eye out for me..."

………………

Two days later, late at night

In the underground parking lot of the 11th Division, the deep roar of engines sounded like the slow howls of a pack of wild beasts. The fifty or so investigators, assembled according to plan, silently adjusted their weapons and equipment over and over again. Even the air was filled with an indescribable sense of tension.

Akira Mado, Igarashi, and Hill are the team leaders for this mission.

Meanwhile, an emergency broadcast was also sent out at night through television, radio and other channels to expand the search area, establish a combat restricted zone, evacuate civilians from the restricted zone and block traffic.

The final check is needed to confirm.

Akira Mado glanced at the time, put away the Quink, and fastened the hidden clasp on her armor.

"Everyone, prepare to depart."

This battle is the final one of the purge campaign, and it is highly likely that we will encounter the formidable forces of the [Aogiri Tree]. The three leaders of the [Young Crows] will lead the battle. These are all the orders the [Young Crows] have received. If all goes well, once the purge campaign ends, higher-ranking investigators will immediately take over the situation and launch a subsequent subjugation campaign.

We aim to wipe out the Bronze Tree's stronghold in one fell swoop!

That's right, the lair of the Bronze Tree has been discovered by the Ravens. However, in order not to alert them, the CCG has been pretending to be unaware of the situation, but in reality, they have been secretly mobilizing and gathering forces to form an encirclement.

Stepping onto the chariot, Akira Mado subconsciously glanced at the underground elevator behind her.

None of the people she expected came...

"Victory is assured! May our military fortunes prosper! Let's march!!"

The steel vehicles slowly started moving and drove out from various exits of the underground parking lot, eventually converging on the designated road and advancing side by side. Looking down at these converging convoys from above was truly exhilarating. On the top platform of the CCG building, the propellers of three helicopters were already warmed up!