Continuing along the passage, He Xi Qian Yu crushed three fully armed interception teams in total. Their futile resistance was like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of Slaughter's absolute power, leaving behind only thick blood splattered on the passage walls and scattered remains.
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze fell on the end of the passage, where an unusually thick alloy gate stood. There were no markings on the door, only complex multi-mechanical locks and an iris scanner embedded in the wall.
He walked to the door, and scarlet viscous fluid surged from his fingertips, forming several small, flexible tentacles that precisely pierced into the miniature interface of the iris scanner.
"...Electronic junk...simple..." Slaughter's consciousness carried disdain.
After a few seconds of dead silence, the heavy sound of hydraulic release echoed, and the alloy gate slowly slid open to both sides like the jaws of a giant beast.
A scent mixed with disinfectant and chemical agents suddenly surged out from inside the door, instantly diluting the bloody smell in the passage.
...
Kukulia Prison, absolute darkness and dead silence.
How long had he been confined here? Five years? Ten years? Kirishima Arata couldn't remember clearly; time had long since congealed into a pool of desperate stagnant water in this cell.
Kirishima Arata curled up on the cold metal floor. Although his strong Ghoul body had not completely collapsed, it was covered with hideous scars from repeated extraction of his Kagune.
Every heavy breath pulled at the tearing pain in his wounds, reminding him of his tragic fate as a "tool."
The gentle smile of his wife, Wu Dao Guang, in his memory, cut at his already numb nerves like a sharp blade every moment.
To get revenge on that Search Officer, he recklessly engaged in cannibalism despite the risk of losing his sanity. But who would have thought that before his revenge could even begin, he would be captured alive by other Search Officers and imprisoned in Kukulia's jail?
CCG researchers discovered an extraordinary Kagune regeneration ability in his damaged body. Thus, he became a breathing "raw material" under the designation "Xin," a tool called a "Kagune donor."
Death itself had become a luxury for him.
Years of sunless confinement made Kirishima Arata believe that Kukulia's cell was his final resting place.
Just then—
Click... Buzz—
The heavy mechanical sound of the metal door opening tore through the dead silence. A blinding beam of light suddenly shot in through the gaping door, exposing Kirishima Arata, who was curled on the ground, to the intense light.
The sudden light made his emaciated body tremble violently, and he instinctively closed his eyes. He tried to raise his withered arm to block it, but weakness made even this action incredibly difficult.
Heavy footsteps shattered the dead silence, clearly entering the cell. A deep red figure, silhouetted against the dim, flickering light outside the door, appeared distinctly in the blinding beam.
He Xi Qian Yu stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping across the cell, finally landing on the figure curled up in the strong light.
He stepped into the cage, his heavy footsteps echoing in the empty metal cell. Each step seemed to tread on Kirishima Arata's taut nerves.
Is it time for the regular Kagune harvest again...?
Kirishima Arata struggled to open his eyes, which were irritated by the strong light. In his blurred vision, what appeared was neither a white coat nor an armed guard.
The deep red figure stopped a few steps away from him. The shadow of his hood obscured most of his face, and only a calm voice emerged:
"I found you."
Kirishima Arata's body tensed with wariness and pain, his cloudy eyes filled with vigilance and hostility.
Who is he?
"Mr. Wu Dao, I have no ill intentions." He Xi Qian Yu's voice was steady. "Let me introduce myself. My name is He Xi Qian Yu." He paused, "I am Ayato and Dong Xiang's... friend." He hesitated for a moment, finally choosing the more easily accepted word "friend."
Kirishima Arata's pupils contracted sharply the moment he heard those two names, and a flicker of disbelief suddenly burst forth from the depths of his cloudy eyes.
He Xi Qian Yu keenly caught this change and continued, "At their request, I came to Kukulia to take you out." He spread his hands, his gesture frank. "I know, words alone are not enough, but you should understand,"
His gaze swept over Kirishima Arata's weakened body, "that my being able to stand here means that even if I had malicious intent towards you, in your current state, you would be unable to resist."
"After all, your body is still very weak, isn't it?"
Kirishima Arata fell silent, his tensed body relaxing slightly.
Indeed, imprisonment, repeated Kagune extraction, and long-term lack of human flesh had caused his strength to plummet to an unprecedented low. The man in front of him was right; if there were truly malicious intent, he would have no chance of winning.
For him, the worst outcome was merely exchanging one hell for another.
But the names "Dong Xiang" and "Ayato," like sparks in the darkness, ignited Kirishima Arata's long-dormant will to live. He needed to grasp any possibility of escape.
After a moment of deliberation, Kirishima Arata nodded heavily, most of the wariness in his eyes fading.
He Xi Qian Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was best if they could resolve this peacefully; he didn't want to use violent means on his father-in-law.
"My children..." Kirishima Arata's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with long-suppressed longing. "Are they... doing well?"
"They are doing very well." He Xi Qian Yu's tone warmed slightly as he patiently explained, "Dong Xiang is currently residing at a coffee shop called 'Antique.' She..." He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, finally selecting the description most comforting to a father, "She has become a high school student and is working hard to get into university. In her spare time, she also helps out at the coffee shop; her life is very fulfilling."
"As for Ayato..." He Xi Qian Yu paused, ultimately choosing a more subtle phrasing that Kirishima Arata might find easier to accept, "He... is doing social research. He has his own ideas and is very active." He avoided the specific details about Bronze Tree.
After listening, Kirishima Arata's sunken eyes reddened slightly. The huge stone that had long weighed on his heart finally fell with a thud, and a look of relief appeared on his face.
He Xi Qian Yu then explained the current chaotic situation to him: "A Ghoul organization called 'Bronze Tree' attacked Kukulia. They released most of the prisoners and are now fiercely engaged in battle with the guards here and the arriving reinforcement Search Officers."
He pointed to the faint roars and rumbling coming from the passage outside the door. "Chaos is the best cover. Now is the best time for us to leave here."
Kirishima Arata's last trace of doubt vanished. He nodded forcefully again, struggling to stand. He Xi Qian Yu stepped forward, his arm steady beneath Kirishima Arata's armpit, helping him up.
The two re-entered the blood-filled passage, and the alloy gate slowly closed behind them.