By the time Ren reached the lowest level of Cochlea, the situation had already descended into complete chaos.
Elite soldiers from Aogiri Tree, along with a growing wave of newly freed ghoul prisoners, had surrounded the remaining Commission of Counter Ghoul investigators who had rushed in as reinforcements.
The investigators had no room left to retreat.
Behind them stood sealed metal gates and reinforced alloy walls.
They formed a final defensive perimeter.
Quinques glowed faintly in the dim underground lighting.
Their expressions remained resolute.
Using the chaos to his advantage—
Ren quietly slipped away from the battlefield.
Pressing close to the cold metal walls.
He moved silently down a deeper corridor of the prison's lowest level.
Inside his mind—
A memory surfaced.
The refined voice of Shuu Tsukiyama.
"Ordinary prisons exist to contain and imprison."
"But Cochlea is different."
"The true value of this facility lies in research and production."
"Specifically—quinques."
"And if Arata Kirishima truly serves as a kagune donor for experimental quinques…"
"Then his cage will be hidden far deeper."
The memory ended.
Ren continued forward.
The corridor narrowed.
The air became stale.
The only sounds were his footsteps—
And the low hum of ventilation systems.
Suddenly—
Bright searchlights exploded across the corridor.
"Restricted area ahead!"
A sharp command echoed.
"Halt immediately!"
"Drop your weapons!"
"Hands above your head!"
Six heavily armored investigators stepped out from the corner.
A standard CCG tactical squad.
Their equipment was far superior to ordinary prison guards.
Dark protective armor.
Quinque rifles.
Ballistic shields.
They immediately formed a tactical firing formation.
Six weapon barrels aimed directly at the red-robed intruder.
The squad leader's instincts screamed danger.
Even alone—
The figure before them radiated something deeply wrong.
Ren stopped.
Exactly as ordered.
Then calmly raised both hands.
So despite the chaos above—
These men remained stationed here.
That meant one thing.
Arata Kirishima's containment area truly lay ahead.
Well.
There was no other option now.
"Mask."
He spoke quietly.
Carnage responded instantly.
[…Acknowledged…]
[…Warm-up begins…]
"FIRE!!"
The squad leader roared.
Six rifles discharged simultaneously.
WHOOSH—!
Blue streaks of quinque rounds tore through the air.
The bullets carried concentrated RC suppressants designed to inhibit ghoul regeneration.
They filled the corridor in a deadly barrage.
But the expected result never came.
The instant the bullets touched his body—
Scarlet fluid erupted from beneath his skin.
The substance expanded rapidly.
Forming a towering crimson mass.
Under the harsh searchlights—
A colossal monster appeared.
The creature possessed a distorted humanoid shape.
But its proportions were monstrous.
Nearly reaching the ceiling of the narrow corridor.
Carnage had manifested.
THUD THUD THUD—
The quinque bullets struck its massive body.
Embedding into the writhing crimson surface.
But the living armor absorbed them easily.
The impacts produced only shallow ripples.
Carnage did not even move.
Then—
It roared.
ROOOOAR—!!!
The sound exploded through the corridor like a shockwave.
Emergency lights shattered.
Ventilation grilles burst apart.
Metal fragments rained down.
The six investigators froze.
Their minds overwhelmed by the monstrous presence before them.
Carnage moved.
Its enormous body surged forward.
The narrow corridor became a slaughterhouse.
A massive claw swept through the air.
CRASH.
Three investigators were struck instantly.
Their armored suits tore apart like paper.
One man's chest collapsed inward.
Blood burst from his mouth as he slammed into the wall.
Another's head was clipped by the claw.
His helmet shattered.
Bone and flesh exploded across the metal surface.
The third man was hit directly.
His body flattened against the wall.
Organs splattering across the corridor.
The remaining two investigators tried to flee.
But the corridor was too narrow.
Carnage blocked their only escape route.
From its back—
Several thick crimson tendrils erupted.
THUD.
THUD.
They pierced both men instantly.
One through the heart.
The other through the abdomen.
Their bodies were lifted off the ground.
Impalement.
The tendrils swung violently.
The corpses slammed into the walls like rag dolls.
Then collapsed to the floor.
Only the squad leader remained.
He had completely broken.
His rifle fell from his hands.
He crawled backward desperately.
His voice reduced to hoarse, broken screams.
Carnage leaned closer.
Its enormous mouth opened slowly.
Rows of white teeth gleamed in the light.
"No—NO!!"
The investigator raised his arms uselessly.
Carnage struck.
CRACK—
Its jaws crushed through helmet and skull simultaneously.
Fragments of bone and metal burst outward.
Blood sprayed across the wall.
The monster tore its head upward.
Muscle and vertebrae ripped apart.
The body collapsed.
Blood pouring from the neck stump.
The severed head disappeared into Carnage's jaws.
Inside the mind—
Carnage spoke with satisfaction.
[…Crunch…]
[…Trash removed…]
The massive crimson body shrank.
Flowing back into Ren's skin.
Within seconds—
He stood alone again.
His red robe remained untouched.
Perfectly intact.
Only the aftermath remained.
Blood splattered across the walls.
Broken limbs scattered across the floor.
And six corpses—
Who had never stood a chance against the overwhelming power of Carnage.
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