Before the words had even faded, a black shadow streaked through the air like lightning. In the next second, Yomo Renji's figure had already emerged clearly into view.
The investigators, all gripping their Quinques, immediately rushed toward the parked vehicles without hesitation.
Among them, Uesugi Ryu took the lead, surging forward like a gust of wind, his powerful strides kicking up dust behind him.
Mado Kureo's eyes sharpened and with just one glance, he had already identified that distinctive mask.
"SS-rated ghoul, The Crow!"
He spoke with surprise, his voice tinged with alarm.
At that very moment, the Kagune behind Yomo Renji exploded outward. Countless dark, pyramid-shaped crystal spikes shot out and formed a dense web in mid-air, aiming to block the investigators' advance.
Simultaneously, Yomo Renji whipped around at an incredible speed while the massive black wings on his back slashed downward.
With a thunderous boom, a parked van was struck dead-on by the winged blow. The vehicle was flung into the air, flipping several times before crashing down hard in the distance.
Dust and debris erupted skyward.
Uesugi Ryu pressed a button on his wrist, and a deep violet longsword materialized in his hand.
A dark crimson energy surged up the blade, it was Blood Frenzy operating at full power, consuming an astonishing 13 mana points per minute.
System-granted abilities weren't rigid; Uesugi Ryu could fully adjust their performance by will.
The more mana was consumed, the more power the weapon gained. While it wasn't the most efficient trade-off, Uesugi Ryu had precisely one thing in abundance and that was mana.
At that moment, Yomo Renji sensed Uesugi Ryu's presence for the first time.
Whether it was in terms of speed or sheer pressure, he was unmistakably the strongest among the investigators present, and those exaggerated energy effects didn't help either.
Mana roared through Uesugi Ryu like a dam burst.
Shunshin no Jutsu, Instant Step, activated.
He vanished in a blink, his silhouette reappearing behind Yomo Renji like a ghost.
A gust of air slammed into Yomo's back, Uesugi Ryu moved too fast, beyond the limits of human tracking.
Yomo Renji's Kakuhou bulged violently. Inky black, armor-like Koukaku-type Kagune surged out, twisting around both of his arms like monstrous pythons.
But he was too late.
Uesugi Ryu's blade swung downward, its crimson arc flashed.
The crow mask on Yomo's face shattered, and the Kagune coiled around his hands was severed in one clean strike.
Yomo's face remained blank. For ghouls, pain had long ceased to be a barrier to combat.
Without giving him a chance to respond, Uesugi Ryu smiled coldly, bloodlust gleaming in his eyes.
With his mana continuing to surge, even his pupils glowed faint red. He twisted his body and delivered a brutal kick straight to Yomo's abdomen.
Crack.
With a brittle crunch, Yomo was hurled several meters away.
"He's slowing down... What was that just now?"
Yomo felt a surge of unease. This investigator... was unlike any he'd fought before.
He was even faster than Arima Kishou..
"Ha!"
Amon Koutarou arrived with a roar, swinging his Quinque at Yomo.
Yomo didn't even glance his way. With a flawless backflip, he avoided the attack entirely.
Mado Akira seized the opening and snapped her whip toward Yomo's calf with a loud crack.
But Yomo's Kagune responded immediately, diving through the air like a crow in freefall. His body twisted at an impossible angle, barely evading the strike.
Before he could land, a pale blue beam of light blasted down onto his landing point.
For the first time, Yomo's expression shifted beneath his broken mask.
"Troublesome."
The light beam pierced straight through the left half of his black wing-shaped Kagune.
Mado Kureo's voice rang out, full of grim satisfaction. His Quinque rifle aimed straight at Yomo.
"A crow with clipped wings can no longer fly."
Uesugi Ryu closed in, his longsword slashing straight toward Yomo's abdomen.
Suddenly, crackling electricity exploded around Yomo, spreading outward in violent arcs. The crackling current created a barrier, pushing back Amon and Akira.
Uesugi Ryu narrowed his eyes. Without hesitation, he dug his heel into the ground and launched himself upward like an arrow.
Midair, he brought his glowing sword down in a vicious arc, cleaving through the electric barrier in a flash of light.
The splintered electricity burst like fireworks in the night, casting dancing shadows as the blade shrieked through the air, curved and deadly.
Yomo's face changed.
He was airborne, with no room to maneuver. One wing had already been destroyed. Desperate, he twisted toward the cliff edge.
A flash of steel.
A sharp scent of blood.
From his collarbone to his armpit, a long, thin wound split open across his chest.
The crimson energy within Uesugi Ryu's blade dug into it like a starving beast.
Blood erupted like a fountain.
Yomo's remaining Kagune launched another barrage of black crystal spikes.
At point-blank range, Uesugi Ryu had no choice but to pause his assault. He twisted his blade and shattered the crystals with a heavy sweep.
Seizing the moment, Yomo landed atop the roadside railing. He leapt backward, disappearing into the dense forest below.
A second later, Mado Kureo's delayed energy shot hit the rusted railing, scorching it with pale blue fire.
Uesugi Ryu rushed to the cliff's edge.
Far below, the van that had been flung over the cliff was now engulfed in flames, glowing fiercely in the dusk.
And then-
BOOM!
A deafening explosion ripped through the air. Smoke billowed skyward. The blaze ignited the forest below.
The cold spring wind tugged at Uesugi Ryu's white coat as the orange flames cast dancing shadows across his face.
Blood trickled down his cheek from a small, thin wound on his forehead.
He twisted the ring on his finger, and the cut healed almost instantly.
"Damn bastard, hitting the face is low."
He muttered.
Still, he'd landed two serious blows, Yomo wouldn't be feeling good tonight either.
"Ryu, are you alright?"
Mado Kureo came up behind him, surveying the burning wreckage below with narrowed eyes.
Uesugi Ryu turned, sheathing his blade as it folded back into its briefcase form.
The electricity had been tricky, even with his energy shielding, he still felt a mild tingling across his body.
To be honest, Uesugi Ryu hadn't actually planned to kill Yomo Renji, he'd intentionally held back. With Instant Step, he could have easily finished the job.
But Yomo was, after all, Kaneki's future uncle.
At the very least, Uesugi Ryu wasn't about to kill him now. He'd just wanted to test his blade a little.
"I'm fine."
He nodded. Still, the way he used Instant Step in actual combat was very different from training. His control needed more refinement.
"The goal was to destroy the vehicle? That suggests there were other ghouls present. Looks like we were discovered far earlier than we expected."
Mado Kureo's tone was light, but his expression turned grim.