At this moment, he was completely different from the café manager who always wore a gentle smile. The wide cloak moved without wind, fluttering loudly.
The instant he raised his head, a pair of blood-red kakugan, as if burning with the flames of hell, slowly swept across the entire scene with suffocating pressure.
Every investigator touched by that gaze felt a chill run down their spine, as if an invisible hand had seized their heart.
Several Special-Class Investigators wore expressions as heavy as iron, subconsciously tightening their grip on their quinque.
As for the frontline combat personnel, they were so shaken by the tangible killing intent that their minds trembled.
Driven by overwhelming fear, they almost instinctively raised their gun barrels. Cold metal knocked faintly against trembling fingers.
This was the most primal reaction of weak creatures facing a natural predator.
The air along the entire street solidified at that moment.
Amid the suffocating atmosphere, Yoshimura Kuzen's low voice pierced through the dust and reached every investigator clearly.
"The act of taking life... is sin."
As he spoke, dark red kagune surged from his back like living creatures, multiplying and expanding wildly.
"From the moment we are born into this world, we are constantly taking.
From air and water to food and other lives... survival itself is a continuous journey of guilt."
The kagune rapidly wrapped around his entire body, forming a grotesque and massive armor.
His figure swelled dramatically before everyone's eyes, transforming into a towering giant that inspired dread.
A deep voice mixed with metallic texture and static noise echoed like a proclamation from the abyss, shaking the entire battlefield.
"Life itself is sin. That... I understand deeply."
Those crimson kakugan stared through the thick armor at the small humans before him.
"I am sin. And you... are no exception."
The enormous kakuja body leaned forward slightly, bringing with it the pressure of a collapsing mountain.
"Come. Let us... slaughter one another."
On top of the command vehicle, Yoshitoki Washuu's brows were tightly furrowed.
At the frontline, Shinohara Yukinori and Iwao Kuroiwa quickly exchanged a glance. In each other's eyes, they saw shock and doubt.
The core of the Owl's words bore an unsettling similarity to what that ghoul in the 11th Ward had said.
But now was not the time to think about that. They had to fight with everything they had.
On the rooftop, the night wind howled.
Amano Hiro watched the battlefield below, which had already become a purgatory. He reached out and gently pinched Rize's soft cheek. His tone carried its usual laziness, yet hidden within was concern.
"Leave Devil Ape and Black Dog to you. Be careful. If you can't win, run. I'll go deal with them."
He knew Koma and Irimi would soon fall into a bitter fight. It was a good chance for Rize to stretch her muscles.
After playing the gentle noble lady for so long, she must have been stifled.
Rize smiled brightly, a trace of excited crimson flashing in her eyes. "All right. Got it."
She cupped Amano Hiro's face with both hands and kissed him firmly, leaving a warm mark. "Then I'm off."
With that, she deftly put on her mask and leapt from the edge of the high building. Her skirt bloomed in the air like a demonic flower blossoming in the night.
Amano Hiro watched her figure merge into the battlefield before leisurely turning toward the main battleground where the manager stood.
"A live version of a war of the century is way more exciting than watching anime through a screen."
He muttered softly, a playful curve forming at his lips. "I'll make my dazzling entrance after the manager starts to lose ground a bit. That'll definitely be stylish."
Imagining that scene, his steps grew lighter, like a protagonist about to take the stage, waiting for the perfect moment to appear.
Amano Hiro silently reached the edge of the main battlefield and stood atop a broken wall, looking down.
Yoshimura Kuzen's massive kakuja body moved through the smoke. With every step, dark red RC cells spread like boiling mist.
Behind him trailed a blood-colored path that made hearts tremble. His posture and presence defined the very meaning of oppression.
"Charge."
The frontline combat personnel could no longer withstand the suffocating pressure and pulled their triggers with hoarse cries.
In the next instant, the enormous figure appeared before them like a phantom.
A flash of blood.
A gigantic arm formed of kagune swept across. A head flew into the air.
The manager spread his arms wide. RC cells surged violently around him and instantly condensed into countless sharp spikes.
Piercing sounds tore through the air like torrential rain as the dark red storm of death poured into the crowd.
The sounds of bones breaking, metal twisting, and dying screams intertwined.
In just one exchange, the entire outer squad was reduced to wreckage.
The following troops roared and charged forward one after another. What greeted them was the same devastating volley of ukaku fire.
Before absolute power, human resistance appeared pale.
"So this is... SSS class..." A surviving member collapsed in a pool of blood, staring at the demon-like figure in despair. "A monster like this... how are we supposed to..."
Just as he closed his eyes to await death, two figures crashed into the battlefield like meteors.
Clang.
Shinohara Yukinori and Iwao Kuroiwa wore the latest New armor. Their quinque shrieked as they cut through the air.
At the same time, they struck both of the manager's kagune arms, leaving deep wounds.
Yet almost the instant the blades withdrew, the wounds squirmed and healed at a visible speed, returning to normal in moments.
"Tch. That regeneration." Iwao Kuroiwa spat. Before he finished speaking, a massive kagune arm slammed toward him like a battering ram.
He barely raised his blade to block, but both man and armor were sent flying, crashing into distant ruins.
Shinohara Yukinori could hardly hold on alone, struggling beneath the storm of attacks. Just as he was about to suffer a heavy blow.
A blinding yellow light tore through the night.
A massive diamond-shaped crystal crashed into the manager's back like a falling meteor.
Boom.
The violent explosion caused even the enormous kakuja body to stagger. One kagune arm was blasted to pieces, and a huge hole appeared in the armor on his back.
"Houji. That was a big help." Shinohara Yukinori retreated, gasping.
Yet in the space of a breath, the horrific wounds began regenerating rapidly. New kagune tissue squirmed like living creatures, filling the gaps.
"Even after taking damage like that, the regeneration speed is still astonishing."
Shinohara Yukinori tightened his grip on his quinque, his voice heavy.
"Without question, this is the strongest enemy in CCG history."
In the distance, Amano Hiro raised an eyebrow, his gaze settling on the peculiar quinque in Kousuke Houji's hands.
"So that's the thing made from Tatara's kakuhou." He murmured. "The firepower is pretty impressive."