"Yes, brother, yes," He Xi Qian Yu replied in his heart.
Though the Symbiote is powerful, it is not without weaknesses.
The Symbiote's weakness is rooted in its origin—when Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, forged the first Symbiote weapon, the All-Black the Necrosword, he used the head of a Celestial as a forge, aided by flames and sonic vibrations.
This primordial trauma is imprinted deep within the genes of all Symbiotes, making them universally afraid of fire and high-frequency sound waves. Additionally, excessive electrical currents can effectively suppress the Symbiote's shapeshifting abilities.
As a descendant of Venom, Slaughter's resistance to sound waves has indeed significantly improved, but high temperatures and electricity remain weaknesses it cannot ignore.
In He Xi Qian Yu's perception, within the current Tokyo area, only two individuals truly pose a threat to him: Tatara, an executive of Bronze Tree, and Arima Kishou, the CCG's White Reaper.
Tatara's Ghoul form can unleash terrifying flames reaching 4000℃, while Arima Kishou's Kouink, Narukami, can convert concentrated Rc cells into super high-voltage electricity.
However, as one of Bronze Tree's main members in this attack on Kukulia, He Xi Qian Yu temporarily doesn't need to worry about a direct confrontation with him. Even if he unexpectedly encounters him during the rescue, He Xi Qian Yu is quite confident he can kill Tatara before he unleashes his Ghoul form.
As for Arima Kishou, He Xi Qian Yu believes the possibility of encountering him in Kukulia is minuscule.
As the CCG's most powerful combatant, Arima Kishou is active on the front lines most of the time, especially in clearing Ghouls from the underground labyrinth of the 24th Ward.
Moreover, He Xi Qian Yu knows his other hidden identity—the "One-Eyed King" behind Bronze Tree. Arima Kishou must have been aware of Bronze Tree's planned attack on Kukulia, and might even be the mastermind.
He has no reason to appear in person to hinder the actions of "his own people."
In summary, the probability of He Xi Qian Yu clashing with Arima Kishou is extremely low. This is crucial—with Slaughter's current abilities, if it takes a hit from Narukami inside Kukulia, the rescue plan would very likely be declared a failure.
"So," He Xi Qian Yu's voice carried an undeniable resolve, "she must stay."
"...Hmph..." Slaughter let out a low growl, as if suppressing a bloodthirsty agitation, "...As you wish..."
"...But remember..." His voice turned cold, "...If that place... truly hides something that can threaten us..."
"...I will tear it apart without hesitation... along with anyone who stands in the way..."
He Xi Qian Yu felt the surging killing intent of the Symbiote within him, his eyes gradually sharpening.
...
As night deepened, the first floor of the renovated coffee shop fell silent, leaving only the faint scent of paint and wood.
He Xi Qian Yu sat alone in front of his recently repaired window, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table, silently communicating with Slaughter deep within his consciousness.
"...You're distracted..." Slaughter's deep voice carried dissatisfaction, "...Thinking about that female..."
He Xi Qian Yu did not deny it, only turning his gaze to Dong Xiang's tightly closed door, from beneath which no light shone.
From the direction of the back door downstairs, a few extremely faint knocks sounded.
He Xi Qian Yu composed himself, quietly rose, agilely moved through the hallway, descended the back stairs, went around to the back kitchen, and gently opened the iron door.
In the narrow back alley outside the door stood a tall figure. He wore a simple dark coat, was sturdily built, and had an honest face. It was Shuichi Banjou, whom he had met once before.
Shuichi Banjou held an inconspicuous black canvas bag. Seeing He Xi Qian Yu open the door, a fawning smile immediately appeared on his face, but deep within that smile, there was an undisguised tension and fear.
"Mr. He, He Xi-xiansheng," Wan Zhang's voice was deliberately kept very low, "I apologize for disturbing you so late. Ayato asked me to give this to you and take you to the meeting point." He hurriedly handed over the canvas bag, his movements eager, as if wanting to complete the task as quickly as possible.
Shuichi Banjou's gaze did not dare linger on Qianyu's face for too long, quickly scanning the surroundings, appearing very cautious.
Gecko's tragic state was still vivid in his mind; Shuichi Banjou knew better than anyone how terrifying the man in front of him was.
He Xi Qian Yu could feel the tension emanating from Shuichi Banjou. He took the bag.
"You've worked hard," He Xi Qian Yu said calmly, stepping aside to let him in, then closing the door.
Shuichi Banjou almost hugged the doorframe as he squeezed in, trying to maintain distance from He Xi Qian Yu. In the faint light of the back kitchen's emergency lamp, there seemed to be tiny beads of sweat on his forehead.
He rubbed his hands, his gaze falling on the canvas bag: "It's almost time, you see..."
He Xi Qian Yu unzipped the canvas bag. Inside was the iconic red hooded robe of an Bronze Tree member.
"...It's finally starting..." Slaughter's voice trembled with excitement, "...This color... I like it... Like blood flowing from a torn wound..."
Just then, extremely faint footsteps came from the stairs leading to the second floor. He Xi Qian Yu and Shuichi Banjou looked up simultaneously.
Dong Xiang's figure appeared at the top of the stairs. She was clearly not asleep, wearing simple home clothes, her short hair slightly messy, and her face showing tiredness, but her purple eyes were remarkably clear in the dim light.
Her gaze first fell on He Xi Qian Yu, then swept over the striking crimson uniform in his hand, and finally rested on Shuichi Banjou, who stood awkwardly to the side.
The air seemed to solidify, and a suffocating silence filled the back kitchen.
Dong Xiang ignored Shuichi Banjou's presence. She silently descended the last few steps, walking directly in front of He Xi Qian Yu, close enough to almost feel each other's body heat. Her gaze was fixed on the crimson robe in his hand, her lips pressed into a straight line, her chest rising and falling slightly.
He Xi Qian Yu could clearly see the emotions intertwined in her eyes, almost breaking through her forced calm facade. Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides, knuckles white from the effort, her body trembling slightly.
He met Dong Xiang's gaze, said nothing, but in front of her, slowly refolded the crimson uniform and put it back into the black canvas bag.
Then, he reached out and, very naturally, took her tightly clenched fist.
Dong Xiang's body jolted, her lower lip trembling slightly. She squeezed back with all her strength, her nails almost digging into his palm.
Then, she abruptly pulled her hand away, as if burned by the brief touch, and quickly turned, leaving only a slightly trembling back and a sentence spoken with a broken tremor:
"...Don't die."
Before her words faded, she had already walked quickly up the stairs, her figure disappearing around the corner.