I am a female swordsman.

"How are your injuries?" Akira Mado, who had joined the battle from the other side, held a whip-like Quinque in her hand. It was she who had relieved Hilde's predicament.

"He's not going to die yet..."

Clenching her teeth and forcing herself to ignore the intense pain emanating from her legs, Hilde's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and her small body trembled beneath her armor. Not everyone can endure pain, especially this dizzying pain coming from her own kunai. When the Kaguya Paladin 1 Modified's internal energy is insufficient to cope with situations exceeding its limits, it will devour the user's flesh and blood; this weapon is extremely dangerous.

“Listen up, Hilde, the two of us must take care of the Bottle Brothers here. Igarashi is facing a monster of this magnitude all by himself for our sake, do you understand?!”

"The woman with glasses?!"

Hilde glanced behind her as usual, but her partner Igarashi did not appear in time as usual.

He gritted his teeth. No! That stupid bespectacled girl couldn't possibly defeat such a monster by herself!

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and take this ghoul to support that idiot!" Otherwise, that idiot will die, and Hilde won't let her partner die alone!

The cross-shaped greatsword transforms into a spear-sword stance.

Akira Mado grabbed Hilde, her own mind racing with anxiety, but as a [Raven's Crow], she had to remain calm. "We can't defeat an S-rank ghoul using conventional methods alone. I have a plan..."

Hilde was taken aback at first, but quickly nodded emphatically!

"Captain, if I die, I hope..."

"Shut up! Whatever you have to say, say it after the battle!" Akira Mado interrupted Hilde, stepping first into the depths of the smoke and dust where visibility was extremely low. Hilde followed Akira Mado in silence.

'There's only one chance. The captain's Quink must achieve a surprising and decisive effect, but... can I really do it?' She was a discarded, inferior investigator, and the Quink she received was an unfinished product. Now, the lives of two of her partners were on her shoulders, and Hilde was filled with confusion.

He was not given time to struggle or think.

The two, who had just stepped deeper into the hazy, smoke-filled abyss, were immediately met with a fierce and brutal attack! Using hands, feet, body, and kagune—everything—the P-masked ghoul forced Mado Akira and Hilde to retreat. That monstrous strength, and its flawless tail kagune, slashed and thrust with unstoppable force!

'I can do it, I can do it.'

The inside of the armor felt like ten thousand sharp blades were gnawing at his body, the intense pain gripping Hilde's throat. In exchange, he temporarily gained dynamic vision beyond his own limits; the chaotic flow of smoke and dust, the flickering figures of enemies—everything entered his eyes and was processed rapidly by his brain!

'Opportunity comes only once… Lord, may Your glory and my blade endure forever!'

Hilde gripped her spear in reverse and lowered her body, preparing to throw it.

The next moment!!

The spear, exploding and shooting out, violently surged, piercing through all the smoke and dust!

Chapter 141 The Young Crow Spreads Its Wings

The surging power that flows from the legs to the waist and finally to the hands is concentrated in this gun!

Throw it out with all your might!

Bang! !

In that instant, even the air itself crackled with the explosive force, like a cannonball being fired as the cross-shaped spear hurtled forward relentlessly. If time were slowed down infinitely, one could see ripples in the air centered on the spear, clearing away the dust and revealing the true nature of what lay beneath.

'You absolutely have to win!'

The cross-shaped spear, bearing the full force of Hilde's attack, transformed into a streak of dark light, stirring up countless ripples in the dust as it hurtled toward the locked figure!

"what?!"

Amidst the billowing smoke, the P-pattern mask was completely exposed to the gleaming blade of the gun. A glint of cold light flashed, and the next moment, half of the mask flipped and flew into the air. Hilde stared, breathless, at the result of her shot. One of the S-rank ghouls, the "Bottle Brothers," knelt on the ground, clutching his face.

Large amounts of blood dripped and sprayed from between his fingers, a scene that was exceptionally cruel.

It was a success...

That fleeting glint of cold light, like a dragon bursting forth from the abyss, carried an overwhelming force, locking onto and forcing the enemy, who was rapidly shifting positions amidst the dust and smoke, to a halt. Only by throwing her weapon with all her might could she hope to win; regardless of success or failure, Hilde, temporarily exhausted, had lost her ability to fight.

"I will take your life on behalf of Hilde!"

Following the gun and sword came the crimson ribbon-like kunk, which nimbly wrapped around [Brother's] limbs, binding them with reverse joints and dismantling his remaining strength to resist.

puff!

Like a steel nail piercing bone, the other end of the kungun, pulled by the crimson ribbon, shot out from Mado Akira's hand. The other end of the ribbon was an incredibly sharp kagune short sword, which pierced through the forehead of the [Bottle Brothers] in an instant! The mask shattered completely! As if not quite dead, his tail kagune twitched, and his limbs convulsed!

Succeeded?

Hild, who was sitting on the ground without realizing it, widened his emerald green eyes. The S-rank ghoul was dead just like that! He could finally write "slaying an S-rank ghoul" on his record book!

Only a full-force attack from Hilde III can lock onto and halt the movement of a powerful enemy. Given just two brief seconds, Akira Mado can seize the enemy and fully utilize the characteristics of her Quinque to achieve a one-hit kill.

This strategy sounds easy, but it's actually very difficult to execute. What if Hilde fails to hit the enemy? What if Hilde can't trust Akira Mado? What if Hilde temporarily loses her fighting ability and something unexpected happens? What if Akira Mado can't keep up in time? What if Akira Mado's Quinque is insufficient? What if...?

There are too many "what ifs"!

But they won; [Young Raven] slew an S-rank ghoul in her first major battle. The smiles on Akira Mado and Hilde's faces lasted only a few seconds before being shattered by Igarashi's agonizing scream.

………………

Death! ...

"Kill them all!" A powerful and unstoppable figure charged forward!

"Are you alright, Igarashi, the intern?" He generously extended his hand to the humble girl!

'I entrust my life to you.' A trust that has been placed upon me!

Lord Huang Quan, am I going to die here? ...No, it's a promise. For you, even death cannot shake my commitment to you!

Sizzle—!

The blade and kagune clashed and pulled, the kagune's immense strength forcefully pushing back, and the unsheathed side of the longsword smashed completely into Igarashi's shoulder! Blood instantly soaked through her pure white dove uniform. Cornered and desperate, Igarashi forgot everything, gripped the hilt of the sword, and let out a crisp, sharp cry!

At this moment, holding this sword, I am exactly the same as Lord Huang Quan, who was once isolated and helpless!

"Snap!!"

Without hesitation, he used his left hand to block the blade that was embedding itself further into his shoulder. The next second, Igarashi was blasted away by the explosive force of the Kagura! He fell to the ground, rolled and collided repeatedly, and finally crashed hard into the stone wall. Igarashi was temporarily silent, as if he were dead!

The tail-like kagune, which had been chasing through the air, aimed straight for Igarashi's head!

"Block!"

Clang!

She parried the incoming kagune at the optimal angle. Igarashi's eyes were completely hidden in the shadows. Her parrying and subsequent slashing motion was extremely pleasing to the eye. It was as if she had instinctively swung her sword and brought it down cleanly and crisply, as if she had practiced it countless times.

"What's going on? They shouldn't be able to block it." The [Bottle Brothers] wearing the X-shaped mask were puzzled. This ghoul investigator should be weaker than him in every aspect.

It shouldn't be able to stop its own attacks at all.

But the truth is, she not only blocked it, but also had the strength to launch a counterattack. It's unbelievable, is this the CCG's "Young Crow"? No wonder Tatara and Eto value these three people so much.

"It doesn't matter, you're going to die here anyway."

The tail of the serpent, deviating from its original target, smoothly bypassed Igarashi, instantly unleashing a strangling attack. The powerful tail easily shredded the reinforced concrete, lifting Igarashi into the air, binding him completely. Like a Titanic python constricting its prey, Igarashi instinctively gaped open.

It felt as if all the air in my lungs had been squeezed out!

The continuous blood loss from the abdominal wound, coupled with the repeated blows to his body, left him only able to barely mount a counterattack against an S-rank enemy. At one point, Igarashi's consciousness completely plunged into darkness, and he felt as if the noisy battlefield around him had become cold and dark, as if he had fallen into another world that was extremely unfriendly to the living.

'I'm so sorry, Lord Yomi... It seems I can't fulfill the vow I made in your room. This mortal must depart first... What a pity, if only I could tell you my love in person...'

"Igarashi!"

"Glasses Girl!!"

From a distant place, two faint, ethereal voices called out to Igarashi. Just as Igarashi was about to step into darkness, he felt a powerful suction coming from behind, and his entire body spun uncontrollably!

"Cough, cough, cough!!" Coughing violently, Igarashi gasped for breath, the feeling of surviving a close call making her instinctively want to grasp at something. As her vision returned to normal, Igarashi witnessed a scene she would never forget.

Right now!

Standing before her were two figures who refused to back down. Hilde, her figure chillingly imposing, was covered in blood and wounds!

Chapter 142 It wouldn't matter if we killed him, right?

"elder brother……"

One of the Bottle Brothers stared at his elder brother's lifeless body on the ground, clutching his head in disbelief. How could this be? His brother was so powerful, so much more powerful than him, yet he died like this? These two fledglings... unforgivable! They actually murdered his beloved brother!

Be careful.

Noticing that something was wrong with the remaining members of the [Bottle Brothers], Hilde whispered a reminder.

Currently, the only one in good condition among the [Young Crows] is Mado, a Class 2 ghoul. Hilde has just exceeded her limits and is suffering from various aftereffects, rendering her combat power useless. As for Igarashi, he just survived a near-death experience and is also in poor condition. Taking down a second S-rank ghoul will be extremely difficult!

"Take good care of Igarashi."

Without hesitation, Akira Mado took a step forward, holding her Quinque and standing in front of her two partners. A strange sense of mission suddenly welled up within her. Her mother, Miyu Mado, had once stood in the same way before that [Owl], and now it was her turn as the daughter to take up the flame from the previous generation!

For the honor of Mado!!

Meanwhile, high in the sky, in a helicopter that was secretly circling.

Mado Kureo shifted his gaze slightly from the sniper scope, his expression strangely unsettling. While he hadn't seen everything clearly, he'd grasped the gist of it. Akatsuki had truly grown up; her posture on the battlefield was exactly like Wei's.

"Teacher, how is it going?"

The voice of disciple Huang Quan came through the earpiece again. It was clear that Huang Quan also knew what was happening down below, but she did not have the means to observe it directly and could only learn about it through others.

There was nothing she could do; her use of firearms was practically nonexistent.

"Don't worry, it was truly a magnificent battle. It's a real shame you couldn't witness the healthy flight of the fledglings." Although he couldn't see Yomi's expression in the other plane, Mado, who knew his disciple very well, could imagine that Yomi's calm demeanor carried a uniquely cruel killing intent.

The Sword Demon is not a quiet observer.

Standing at the cabin door, letting the gale whip her coat around, that slender, upright figure exuded an aura that instilled fear. It was as if countless grinning, ferocious demons lurked in her shadow, possessing an undeniable, sharp, and imposing presence simply by standing there.

"Yes, that's a real shame."

This ominous premonition did not diminish despite the [Young Ravens'] brilliant counterattack. Looking down at the dark pursuit and combat zone, Huang Quan felt that something extremely terrifying was lurking in the dark steel jungle below, its mouth agape, drooling, waiting for the [Ravens] to fall.

Huang Quan's intuition is always very accurate.

She was convinced that some kind of purely malicious danger lurked below, a danger that could kill her right now.

"Hmm... It seems something interesting has happened. Huang Quan, Ya Men, stretch your limbs and joints. Something that the little guy can't handle has appeared."

What's going on?

Amon, who was already fully prepared, suddenly felt a pang in his heart and subconsciously touched his chest. Mr. Mado's daughter had been sobbing uncontrollably against his chest that day, questioning whether it was this stupid big guy who had made Mr. Mado the way he was now... Although he felt very sorry for Ms. Mado Akira, Amon was still happy to see his mentor's transformation.

"Together we eat."