But at that very moment, something completely unexpected occurred.
Clang!
With a sharp metallic sound, the dark-blue longsword slipped from Uesugi Ryu's hand without warning and crashed heavily to the hard ground.
Uesugi Ryu froze for a moment. Then, a faint smile of resignation slowly crept onto his lips.
He had instinctively used his dominant hand, his left, to wield the blade. But today wasn't like any other day.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at his left hand, still trembling uncontrollably. The webbing between his thumb and index finger had torn open, and blood trickled steadily from the wound.
Amon Koutarou finally rushed over, eyes widening in disbelief as he looked at the figure lying in a pool of blood.
"Ryu! Are you alright?" he asked with concern, hurrying to pick up Sakikage and handing it back to Uesugi Ryu.
"I'm fine. You'd better go check on Mado-san. Leave Jason to me," Uesugi Ryu said with a faint smile.
Seeing that he was still standing, Amon didn't say more and immediately ran toward the wreckage that had once been a tin shack.
Taking Sakikage back into his hand, Uesugi Ryu let out a few quiet breaths to regulate himself, then began walking slowly toward Yamori, Gecko, who lay sprawled in a pool of blood.
Although Yamori hadn't yet breathed his last, his injuries were far too severe. He was incapable of getting back on his feet, let alone continuing to fight.
Seeing Uesugi Ryu approaching, Yamori's eyes were filled with utter terror. He struggled desperately to crawl backward, his mouth babbling in panic:
"No... d-don't kill me! Please! Spare me! I... I'm still useful!"
As he spoke, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He was the very picture of wretchedness, fear utterly consuming him in the face of death.
Uesugi Ryu's expression didn't budge at all.
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he let a wicked smile tug at the corners of his mouth.
He cleared his throat, walked up to Yamori, and gently brushed his own face. In an instant, the handsome features he usually wore morphed, into a round face with a buzz cut.
That unforgettable face, the one Yamori could never forget, appeared before him once again.
And then came the voice, hoarse and dark:
"Minus seven... is what?"
Yamori's eyes widened beyond human limits.
Cold sweat burst from his body like rain.
He screamed, a high-pitched, shrill wail that sounded almost inhuman, like a siren's death cry, his face frozen in a mask of abject horror.
Uesugi Ryu winced and covered his ears.
He honestly hadn't expected Yamori to be capable of such a loud falsetto.
[You have killed an SS-Grade Ghoul]
(First time killing an SS-Grade Ghoul. Bonus: +5 Attribute Points]
(Bonus stacked.]
[Talent: Soul Devour activated. Permanently increased Mana by 39 points.]
[Absorb Kakuhou?]
[Energy increased by 69 points]
[Current Energy: 88/100]
"...Shit. Did he just die from fright?"
Uesugi Ryu raised a brow with a bemused look, though his eyes gleamed with joy at the sight of the 5 attribute points reward.
He hadn't expected the system to classify Yamori as an SS-grade ghoul.
As a half-kakuja, Yamori had three Kakuhou.
Uesugi Ryu absorbed two of them, leaving the strongest, Koukaku-type, for future Quinque production.
Sakikage was beginning to fall behind in battle performance.
He was lucky it was made from a Rinkaku or it would've snapped under Yamori's assault.
After securing the gains, Uesugi Ryu glanced at the ring on his left index finger, an item he'd drawn from the system but never used.
He considered using it to heal his dislocated arm, but ultimately decided against it. If it healed incorrectly, that would be a whole new problem.
At that moment, Amon Koutarou returned, supporting Mado Kureo as they emerged from the ruins.
Mado looked rather tragic, blood on his forehead, his investigator's uniform now resembling beggar's rags, and numerous scrapes across his body.
The shack had been full of clutter. Though he'd avoided a direct hit, debris from the impact had still scraped him up badly.
Upon seeing the dead Yamori lying beside Uesugi Ryu, Mado's eyes widened slightly, then he let out a hearty laugh.
"Amazing, Ryu! You really killed that bastard!"
Seeing that Mado was mostly alright, Uesugi Ryu finally relaxed a little.
"Just luck. Are you okay, Mado-san?"
Mado nodded, "Caught in the aftermath. Nothing serious-"
Before he could finish, a violent coughing fit cut him off. He hastily covered his mouth with his gloved hand, bright red blood stained the white fabric.
"Mado-san!" Amon's expression turned to worry.
"...Looks like we were still a bit late," came a regretful voice.
Carrying his Quinque, Shinohara Yukinori strode in, concern etched on his face. Several unfamiliar Investigators followed close behind.
Mado had called for reinforcements the moment he confirmed that Yamori had displayed strength far beyond an S-grade ghoul.
In truth, Shinohara's arrival wasn't all that late, the battle had simply ended far faster than anticipated.
Uesugi Ryu, too, felt a weight lift from his chest when he saw Shinohara.
Yamori had never truly been alone. While it was unlikely that Tatara or Nico would suddenly show up here, Uesugi Ryu, who was always a bit paranoid, remained on guard.
Shinohara, with his overwhelming presence and calm authority, had a way of making one feel safe.
"I'll live," Mado waved off, then gestured at Uesugi Ryu.
"But maybe you should be more concerned about Ryu, he's the one who actually brought down Jason, and all on his own."
Shinohara was visibly surprised.
Until now, he had assumed it was Mado who had taken down the SS-class ghoul.
But after a pause, he turned and issued a command to one of the Investigators behind him.
"Notify the support team. The battle is over."
The subordinate nodded and dashed off to relay the order.
Uesugi Ryu remained expressionless but offered a light greeting.
"Special-Class Shinohara."
"Second-Class Uesugi, truly impressive work. Tend to your wounds first."
With a nod, Shinohara left to oversee the cleanup operation.
Looking around at the ruined shack and the ravaged battlefield, even someone like him couldn't help but sigh.
Even as a Special-Class Investigator, scenes like this were rare.
Soon, a medical team arrived at the site.
Uesugi Ryu sat quietly in the back of the ambulance, expression neutral, while the doctors busily examined and treated him.
After a thorough check, they determined that his injuries weren't too severe.
His left shoulder was dislocated, possibly with minor fractures, and the web between his left thumb and forefinger had split, bleeding continuously.
Prolonged high-intensity combat had also left much of his musculature strained, and his body was clearly showing signs of exhaustion.
And then, it hit him.
A wave of searing, bone-deep pain.
His entire body tensed.
Still, he gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to make a sound. He was determined to keep his cool image intact.
He shot a mildly resentful look at the doctor dressing his wound.
Sensing his stare, the doctor looked up with concern.
"Second-Class Uesugi, does it hurt? Do you want me to be more gentle?"
Faced with this triple kill of compassion, Uesugi Ryu glanced around at all the passing Investigators.
Then, with a deadpan expression, he shook his head.
"No. Doesn't hurt. Not one bit."