I am a female swordsman.

Thinking it over, Amon's serious and resolute face changed from slight resentment to relief. Even if only one person was saved, it would be fine; he had been prepared to sacrifice himself from the day he became an investigator.

boom!!!!

A blinding red light grazed Amon's body, instantly sweeping away the wildly churning kagune below! It moved with incredible speed, weaving back and forth! The wildly blazing sword light, carrying an extremely ominous and violent aura, was like a demon unleashed, feasting on its target!

Expose! Shatter! Strangulate! Annihilate!

The crimson sword light even had some strength left, which transformed into a gentle ribbon that caught Amon Kotaro steadily, allowing him to land safely!

"This is!?"

With a loud thud, Amon Kotaro landed on the ground. He didn't have time to worry about his injuries and instinctively looked to his side.

"Yellow Springs...?" Amon's tone betrayed his uncertainty, for he could hardly believe that the being beside him, radiating an eerie, demonic aura, was his partner. Or perhaps, at this moment, Yellow Springs was more deserving of the resounding and awe-inspiring title of "Sword Demon"!

Her smooth, beautiful silver hair was dry and pale, as if it had lost its life force. A demonic pattern representing confinement and restraint appeared in the center of her forehead. On the left and right sides of the slightly shimmering demonic pattern, the abstract power of two great demons was coiled, extremely unstable, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The most outrageous thing is Huang Quan's left hand!

From fingertips to wrist, it had completely transformed into a crimson demonic claw. This left hand embodied a violent and cruel aesthetic that was immediately apparent to any observer. The spot where the power-transferring bracelet had originally been had its eerie blue gem completely transformed into a crimson demonic jade, pulsating with a lifelike intensity!

"You saw me, looking so ugly."

Huang Quan—no! It should be said that the demon standing beside her spoke. Her voice was no longer clear and melodious; it was low and hoarse, the overlapping sounds like the slow roar of some monster!

That Huang Quan, who was purely human, has already died where the monster was born.

Amen could hardly fathom what had transpired in Huang Quan in such a short time, transforming his familiar partner into a monster whose cruelty and savagery could be sensed even from her mere aura. Staring at her, even breathing became difficult.

Huang Quan expressionlessly withdrew his gaze from Yamen.

Her expressionless face wasn't the fake poker face that concealed other emotions; it was a genuine indifference. Whether looking at enemies or comrades, the life reflected in her merciless crimson eyes was no different from grass, trees, or stones.

"Huang Quan, is that really you?"

"A pointless interrogation."

"But……!"

"Alright, stop wasting my time, Amon-kun. The teacher is resting in the back; could you please take him to get treatment? I'll come find you after I tear this eyesore of a beast to shreds."

She slightly moved her left hand, and Huang Quan's ferocious five claws rhythmically struck up and down. Next, she would have to deal with the SS-rank ghoul in front of her, and she was also eager to test the power she had obtained at such a great cost.

[Noro] also seemed to sense the sense of crisis emanating from this suddenly appearing woman, a sense that she could kill him.

The two figures disappeared from the spot at almost the same time!

Boom!!!

The two rapidly approached each other, leaving exaggerated afterimages, and simultaneously chose to throw simple and straightforward punches at each other! Huang Quan's expression remained cold and indifferent, as if this was not a battle that could determine life or death, but just a very simple and ordinary punch. Huang Quan didn't even seem to intend to use his sword.

Noro's head was sent flying...

"What? So weak?" Huang Quan, who had also been hit hard on the face, only tilted his head slightly. [Yoru]'s body and head separated, and the kagune below his head quickly pulled his head back into place!

However, when his head returned to his body and consciousness regained control, [Noro] found that Yomi's figure had vanished from his sight. A scarlet, ferocious demonic claw pierced deep into his skull, and Yomi, perched seductively on Noro's shoulder, swayed her long, beautiful legs crossed.

"Let me see your brains."

With a grab and a twist, [Yoru]'s body twitched involuntarily, and with a pop, his skull was forcibly ripped open by that demonic claw!

The demonized Huang Quan looked at the cruel scene he had created, and instead of feeling disgusted, he carried out this chilling act as if it were perfectly natural.

Chapter 153 Crushing

The skull was violently ripped open, and Huang Quan, looking down from above, could clearly see that the opened head contained no red or white brain matter. Instead, it was filled with countless katana threads, intertwined and writhing, gushing out from the opening Huang Quan had created!

"How twisted."

Easily dodging the onslaught of the Hexagonal Silk, Huang Quan landed lightly, instinctively licking his ferocious claws to savor the taste of his prey's blood.

But then, Huang Quan frowned.

"Pooh!"

Spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground, a hint of disgust surfaced in Huang Quan's indifferent eyes. Compared to the length of life experienced by demons, Huang Quan's past and present lives combined amounted to only a few short decades, far from enough to exempt her from the influence of multiple demons on her soul.

The scariest thing is...

This impact is not abrupt or unreasonable for the parties involved, but rather a perfectly normal change.

"Roar!!"

His upper body had completely transformed into a deformed monster with its kagune tangled together, and the sinister teeth within Noro's kagune constantly gleamed and gnawed. This extremely mentally disturbing scene made Yomi slightly more alert, and she finally stopped ignoring Noro as much as before.

Suddenly! An overwhelming swarm of kagune descended upon Yomi! In the blink of an eye, Yomi was engulfed by the kagune!

laugh!

With a deafening roar as the demonic claws, brimming with violent aesthetics, effortlessly shredded and tore apart all the kagune. The five claws lay open, dripping with viscous fragments of kagune. Unharmed, Yomi's eyes gleamed with an even more intense crimson light, and the aura of danger emanating from her reached its peak!

Without any warning!

The demonized Huang Quan flicked her wrist, her long, menacing index finger pointing lightly at Ye Lu—

Clang! Clang! Clang clang clang clang!

A dark red magic swamp instantly appeared beneath Noro's feet, from which countless rotting, grotesque claws emerged, firmly locking him in place. The next moment, crimson swords and spears appeared out of thin air from all directions, raining down like dense bullets, forcefully piercing through Noro's twisted half-body!

After doing all this, Huang Quan snapped his fingers with a crisp sound.

Burn to ashes amidst these dazzling, blooming magical flowers!

The exploding magical energy instantly annihilated the upper half of Noro's body. The flame-like magical energy, with its highly viscous and scorching properties, gnawed at each of his kagune like a leech, burning fiercely with flesh and life as fuel! Yomi's precise control over magical energy was effortless; he watched his masterpiece, a mere trial run, with indifference!

The pain of being swallowed by this surging demonic energy is something I will never forget, even in hell.

Huang Quan has personally experienced it.

Every crevice of one's soul is infused with raging demonic energy, a torture that feels like tearing one's soul apart.

"In that case, you won't be able to regenerate anymore." Huang Quan looked at the magical flower that bloomed like a flame, nourished by flesh and blood. This was the nemesis of most bodies capable of rapid regeneration.

Unless a way is found to eliminate the magical sparks within the body, rapid regeneration only fuels the incessantly burning magical energy. Instead of becoming an advantage, rapid regeneration becomes the basis for torture; the feeling of watching one's body being devoured is certainly unbearable.

Noro's remaining half of his body continued to twist and mutate.

Resembling a black goat cub from the Cthulhu Mythos, he transformed into a gigantic mass, from which whip-like tentacles and kagune sprouted continuously. The gaping maws around him revealed bright red gums and teeth, and it was from these mouths that Yomi heard the frantic cries of agony.

Writhing and struggling amidst the crimson magical flowers!

His kagune, which he had been desperately trying to extend outwards, was reduced to ashes in a mere instant by the demonic energy! The flames of the Bone-Bone Maggots grew ever more intense, eventually engulfing Noro's mutated body completely!

Even an SS-rank ghoul displaying its most ferocious side proved utterly powerless against a single attack from the demonized Yomi after she had slightly mustered her strength. While it was still unknown just how much power Yomi had obtained from the demon in exchange for her own, her effortless crushing of Noro suggested she didn't see herself as fighting, but rather as a target for testing her power!

"Rest in peace, you poor thing."

As the SS-rank ghoul gradually turned to ashes amidst the crimson fireworks, Yomi, still in her demonic state, suddenly looked back! Her gaze fell upon a nimble figure that swiftly disappeared between the overlapping buildings under the night sky!

"[Two-Tails]...? No, it's the aura of [Noro]. It took the opportunity to devour the [Two-Tails]'s kagune, transformed into a new monster, and escaped. Should we give chase...?"

[Two-tailed] died, and [Noro] was burned to ashes.

However, it was likely the active kagune that had been splashed out during the battle with Amon that, after its main body suffered a fatal blow, devoured the unclaimed kagune left behind by the Two-Tails and escaped. The Demonized Yomi was somewhat tempted to give chase, but after thinking it over, she decided to give up. Compared to that, Mado Kureo-sensei should have survived, right?

"There's not much left to do..."

Gazing up at the night sky, its surface a fiery red glow from the flames, Huang Quan reached out to the faintly visible stars. His jagged, menacing claws seemed poised to seize the stars, crushing and shattering his past ordinariness!

………………

District 11, CCG Branch Medical Department

[Crow] leader Mado Kureo suffered severe injuries and was rushed to the emergency room, his life hanging in the balance. The investigators who learned of this were all astonished and uneasy. A formidable enemy, even one that [Crow] struggled to handle, had appeared on the battlefield of Ward 11. Just how terrifying were the ghouls of [Aogiri Tree]?

Anxiety spread throughout the 11th district.

But all of this had nothing to do with Amen, who was waiting in front of the operating room; he was in a state of utter confusion.

His master's fate was unknown, and his partner had been corrupted by demons. Their arrival was so sudden that he didn't know what to do. Amon Kotaro couldn't help but cover his face; if he had been stronger and protected everyone, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.

"Hey,... Yamen."

"Um?!"

Sometime later, the lights in the medical department corridor went out, and Amen heard the familiar voice of his partner, Huang Quan. To his astonishment, he saw that familiar figure standing in the depths of darkness, and... those chilling crimson claws! Huang Quan, expressionless, crossed his arms, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the operating room.

"Are you an idiot? What are you standing there for? Go get me some bandages."

"oh oh!"

As long as the demonic transformation cannot be controlled, this hand will remain in its current form. For ordinary people, such a hand is far too much of a test of their mental fortitude; it's best to hide it for now.

Chapter 154 Incompetence

"Thank you."

A thank you without sincerity is like saying, "Have you eaten today?" "I know." "Okay." Such words devoid of any extra emotion. Yamen looked at Huang Quan, who was taking the bandage, with a pang of sadness. If it weren't for the fact that her face was still the same, he would have suspected that the Huang Quan in front of him had been replaced by someone else.

"Don't stare at me like that, Amon-kun..."

"Ok?"

As Huang Quan slowly and methodically bandaged the horrifying claw on his left hand, he spoke in a nonchalant tone.

"...Watch out or I'll gouge your eyes out."

It sounded like something someone would say in a fit of pique, yet the words coming from Huang Quan's thin lips possessed an undeniable, magical power. Amen immediately averted his gaze from Huang Quan's face! For some reason, his heart was pounding uncontrollably after Huang Quan's warning!

My partner has changed!

He has become unfamiliar and dangerous; this guy in front of me is definitely not the Huang Quan I know!

Ignoring the complex emotions displayed on Yamen's face, Huang Quan wrapped her left hand up and pretended to break it, hanging it in front of her chest. Then, she fiddled with her pale hair to completely cover the eerie demonic markings on her forehead, adjusted her expression, and temporarily reverted to her previous appearance.

With a hint of eerie danger in his eyes, Huang Quan raised his long, sharp eyes slightly.

This very feminine gesture made Yamen feel a little hot in the face.

Will you keep this from me?

"..."

Seeing his partner in this state, any normal person would be suspicious, and Amon was no exception. Was Yomi still human? Why did she become like this? If she remained in the CCG, as a ghoul investigator, was it necessary for him to report Yomi, who might no longer be human?