However, despite being a core member of the Washuu family, Yoshitoki Washuu was not strong. In fact, when facing Eto Yoshimura, there were very few people in the world who could defeat her.
Yoshitoki Washuu's attacks appeared naive and ridiculous in front of Eto Yoshimura. She easily sent him flying with a single strike.
Marude had originally prepared to shoot, but he stood frozen, his eyes empty and filled with disbelief as he stared at Yoshitoki Washuu's crimson eyes.
"How is this possible..." Marude muttered, his entire worldview collapsing in that moment.
In fact, everyone present at that moment was dumbfounded, looking incredulously at Yoshitoki Washuu. Several rookie investigators were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground.
Marude even forgot to attack and remained paralyzed on the ground, tossing his gun aside and muttering to himself.
Suddenly, he looked up and burst into insane laughter.
The CCG director, who had dedicated himself to exterminating ghouls and the current leader of the Washuu family, turned out to be a ghoul.
In that moment, Marude felt himself being pulled into an endless whirlpool of conspiracy, struggling to catch his breath.
Eto Yoshimura smirked. The mission had gone even smoother than she had anticipated. Due to the intense fighting ahead, Yoshitoki Washuu's guards had all been dispatched, leaving no one to stop her at that moment.
Eto Yoshimura didn't waste time on words. To avoid further complications, she was about to make her move.
But then, a gunshot rang out.
Eto Yoshimura quickly prepared to defend herself, only to realize that the gunshot wasn't aimed at her.
"Bang!"
In front of everyone's eyes, a bullet struck Yoshitoki Washuu's forehead, splattering blood and causing him to collapse to the ground.
All heads turned towards the sound of the gunshot. The person who had fired the gun was none other than Marude.
Though Marude was not strong in close combat, he was a renowned marksman within the entire CCG. However, his hands trembled as he held the gun.
Yoshitoki Washuu had been his old comrade, a long-time friend, and they had fought together in many battles.
But now, Marude's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging, and his hatred was palpable.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Yoshitoki Washuu lay on the ground, his face completely shattered. Despite his fatal wounds, he struggled to breathe, his breath growing weaker.
Gunshots continued to ring out.
Marude kept pulling the trigger, emptying the entire magazine. Yoshitoki Washuu's face was utterly destroyed, beyond death.
Eto Yoshimura hadn't expected this turn of events, but at least the mission was accomplished. The commotion caused by what had transpired had already spread, and CCG reinforcements were beginning to arrive from afar.
She had no intention of staying any longer. If she lingered, she would be in danger.
However, before leaving, she shot several feathers directly into Yoshitoki Washuu's chest, just to be sure.
As a result of Eto Yoshimura's departure, the Aogiri Tree organization swiftly received orders to retreat in an organized manner. The pressure from the CCG lessened, and a counterattack was launched, quickly gaining the upper hand.
The Black Dog and the Demon Ape were no match, and they were annihilated. It was only a matter of time.
Ultimately, the war concluded with a resounding victory for the CCG.
Throughout the entire process, the person known as the CCG's strongest combat force, Arima Kishou, never made an appearance.
However, before the CCG could widely publicize their victory in the war, an even greater scandal was exposed: the CCG director was a ghoul.
At that time, with many people present and with Eto Yoshimura stirring the pot from behind, the news couldn't be concealed.
Fear spread among the masses, and rumors ran wild.
The very people who were supposed to protect them had turned out to be their enemies.
The entrance of CCG headquarters was crowded with tens of thousands of people protesting and demanding answers from the government.
The crowd continued to grow, edging toward chaos. Some more radical individuals even attempted to storm CCG headquarters but were stopped.
"We can't catch a break. I don't know how this news leaked. We were planning to handle it internally."
Inside the CCG headquarters meeting room, an extraordinary meeting was taking place.
Kiyoko Aura, a Special Class member, sighed, rubbing her temples.
At the moment, they couldn't carry out missions. The public had already concluded that the upper echelons of the CCG had been infiltrated by ghouls, and no matter who they sent out, they couldn't resolve the issue.
Silence filled the room, burdened with heavy emotions.
Even though several days had passed since Yoshitoki Washuu's true identity was revealed, they hadn't recovered from the shock.
"We need to address this matter."
Finally, the relatively mature and composed Iwao Kuroiwa stepped forward. "What about Lin Yi and the others? Given the current situation, he's the only one who can step forward and calm the public's anger."
Everyone nodded. With the CCG currently lacking leadership, Lin Yi, renowned for slaying the "Owl" during the stability zone battle, was the obvious choice.
"Send a message to Lin Yi, asking him to meet Mr. Arima."
Aura responded, and once again, the meeting room fell silent.
No one spoke. They patiently waited. In the current situation, all they could do was wait for Lin Yi to return and discuss the situation.
On the other side, accompanied by a First Class investigator, Lin Yi went to a training room.
This training room had been specifically assigned to Arima Kishou and was off-limits to everyone else. It was one of the privileges of being the strongest combat force.
Within the entire CCG, only Lin Yi dared to request access, and only a few people were willing to accompany him.
"Investigator Lin, Mr. Arima is practicing inside. I won't disturb you."
The First Class investigator leading the way looked at Lin Yi with admiration. He respectfully bowed, then left after receiving Lin Yi's permission.