As they slowly stepped into a narrow and dim dead-end alleyway, Uesugi Ryu came to a stop. From his pocket, he drew out several more bags of blood.
This time, unlike before, he didn't handle them with any care. Instead, he casually tossed them out.
The blood bags scattered chaotically across the ground, and thick red liquid began seeping out, slowly spreading over the pavement.
Next, he unfastened the guitar case he'd been carrying on his back and gently placed it to the side.
Mado Akira, who had been quietly observing all this, could no longer contain her intense curiosity and finally asked:
"That blood...?"
She stared intently at the pile of blood bags on the ground, her gaze full of confusion.
Uesugi Ryu remained indifferent, answering with a calm, almost bored tone:
"It's my blood."
Mado Akira's eyes widened in disbelief. She looked down at the blood again, estimating roughly, there was at least 2000cc here!
Blood certainly had an alluring effect on ghouls. But to think that Uesugi Ryu would release such a large quantity of his own blood just to lure them in... It made her reassess him entirely.
Uesugi Ryu, noticing the thoughts swirling in her mind, added:
"My blood isn't like ordinary humans'. It has a unique attraction to ghouls."
"To put it simply, if, in a ghoul's eyes, you're just a piece of plain bread, then I'm a juicy, top-grade steak."
Akira nodded thoughtfully. Having studied the Gourmet extensively, she was well aware that some humans with special constitutions were indeed irresistible to ghouls.
Just then, Uesugi Ryu glanced toward the entrance of the alley.
With his heightened perception, boosted after increasing his Intelligence, he immediately noticed two ghouls rapidly approaching.
"They're here. I'll leave them to you."
He handed his Quinque over to Mado Akira, then casually leaned against the alley wall. Since Akira was so eager to exterminate ghouls, these few could serve as warm-up targets.
As far as Uesugi Ryu was concerned, these weaklings barely warranted his attention, like mowing grass.
Mado Akira silently took the Quinque. She said nothing, but a flash of cold sharpness gleamed in her eyes.
The moment she turned around, Uesugi Ryu's tall figure seemed to melt into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
"A schoolgirl? Heh heh..."
One of the ghouls licked his lips, drooling as he stared hungrily at Akira's graceful back.
The aroma of blood wafting from the ground assaulted his senses like a gust of wind, igniting his gluttonous hunger.
His crimson ghoul eyes gleamed with uncontrollable greed, as if he meant to devour her whole.
"Quit stalling! One each, hurry it up!" another ghoul barked impatiently before lunging toward Akira.
But just as he reached her, Akira suddenly looked up. That stunningly beautiful face was now twisted into a sneering smile full of scorn.
"Trash like you should just die."
With a sharp whoosh, her crimson whip lashed out, striking the ghoul across the neck.
CRASH!
The ghoul was sent flying, slamming into the wall with a dull thud. Blood gurgled from his torn throat like a fountain.
"Investigator?!"
The other ghoul, the one who'd been salivating, finally realized who he was facing. His expression shifted to shock. But his greed overpowered his fear.
A dark green Bikaku-type kagune quickly coiled around his muscular arm.
At that moment, more hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance,two more ghouls had arrived.
Mado Akira remained fearless.
She whirled her whip and dove into combat. Her long weapon, Amatsu, sliced through the air, easily deflecting wave after wave of attacks. Her eyes were sharp and resolute, each strike executed with precision.
Meanwhile, Uesugi Ryu continued to observe silently from the darkness. Three ghouls were about the limit for Akira.
Based on his assessment, the one with the Bikaku-type kagune was around Rank A, while the other two were Rank B, and one of them couldn't even release their kagune at all.
Akira swiftly finished off the weakest of the bunch. During a quick spin, she instinctively glanced at the spot where Uesugi Ryu had been, but the shadows remained undisturbed, and he was nowhere to be seen.
She frowned deeply, but there was no fear in her heart. One hand gripped the long whip tightly, spinning it in rapid arcs. The whip crackled through the air, hissing like a viper.
In the darkness of night, ghouls hidden in the shadows, drawn by the scent of blood, began to converge like sharks circling prey.
"Hehehe... this is the smell!"
"Come on, everyone! There's enough for all of us, this is a feast!"
A ghoul laughed excitedly. His voice echoed through the alley. The others, emboldened, surged forward like wild beasts.
At that moment, Uesugi Ryu lifted his head slightly. His sharp eyes quickly swept across the area, gauging the number of targets.
"Hmm... seven? Not bad. Looks like the 7th Ward's security is holding up alright."
He spoke in a deep, quiet tone.
Suddenly, he appeared in the center of the alley like a phantom, splitting the battlefield in two in the blink of an eye.
"Wha... what?! This guy's a Dove too?!"
The leading ghoul froze in shock. Having dealt with investigators before, he understood the signs. But Uesugi Ryu wasn't carrying the standard CCG suitcase.
Seeing this, the ghoul relaxed slightly and sneered.
"Tch, I thought he was something serious, but he's just a Dove without his weapon!"
"Don't be afraid! There's so many of us. We can take down one empty-handed investigator, easy!"
Uesugi Ryu smiled warmly. A second later, his Quinque appeared in his hand as if out of thin air.
"Your guess was close. Just don't guess again in your next life."