Uesugi Ryu stood silently, a long blade of deep violet in hand, as all manner of kagune lashed toward him.
Even though his eerie and unpredictable behavior had filled the ghouls with dread, by now they had no choice but to bite the bullet and charge in.
A piercing rinkaku-type kagune swept across Uesugi Ryu's body, yet, as expected, no blood sprayed.
The seemingly ferocious strike passed through him like slicing through empty air, leaving not even a scratch behind.
The attacking ghouls were dumbfounded, frozen in place.
Before they could even begin to process what had happened, a wet splurt rang out as flesh was cleaved, and a head the size of a boulder soared skyward.
Uesugi Ryu suddenly turned and kicked a ghoul to the side. The terrifying strength carried with it a gust of wind, and the ghoul was sent flying.
Crack-crack!
The brittle crunch of bones echoed through the night like a haunting melody as the body smashed violently into a wall.
Uesugi Ryu didn't pause for even a breath. His right hand darted out, seizing the neck of the nearest ghoul.
His pale, slender fingers tightened slightly, and with a dull crack, the ghoul's neck was snapped like a twig.
In the blink of an eye, three ghouls had fallen. The remaining four ghouls turned ashen-faced, horror etched into every inch of their features. "We're screwed!" they all silently cursed.
╥﹏╥...
The one ghoul who had earlier mocked Uesugi Ryu had been near the rear. By sheer dumb luck, he had survived. His eyes flickered with calculation, and without hesitation, he turned to pounce toward Mado Akira.
"Tch, if I can't take this monster head-on, I'll use the female investigator as a hostage to bargain my way out!"
As he plotted silently, he sprinted with all his might.
Uesugi Ryu casually tossed aside a limp corpse like it were a torn rag. His gaze settled playfully on the ghoul charging at Mado Akira.
"In a way, this guy really is a genius. He stepped right on my landmine."
Elsewhere, two ghouls panicked and attempted to flee amidst the chaos. Uesugi Ryu didn't even bat an eye. He casually swung his blade twice.
In a flash of icy light, the three ghouls attempting to escape fell to the ground, beheaded cleanly.
On Akira's side, only the Bikaku kagune ghoul remained locked in combat. But signs of fatigue were creeping onto her face; her breathing had grown heavier.
The intense, prolonged battle had begun to take its toll.
The ghoul charging at her tensed up. His comrades' agonized screams reached his ears. Gritting his teeth, he reached into his coat and pulled out a jet-black handgun.
The barrel, dark as a void, pointed squarely at Mado Akira's thigh, clad in sheer black tights.
But before he could even squeeze the trigger, his hand, and half of his arm, fell to the ground with a thud.
"Wow. You really play dirty."
Uesugi Ryu sighed as if disappointed.
"The times really have changed... even ghouls are playing with guns now."
"MY HAND!!!" the ghoul shrieked in horror, collapsing to the ground, his face contorted with fear.
He no longer had any will to resist. Uesugi Ryu was not some regular investigator, he was a walking nightmare.
"What are you screaming for?!"
Uesugi Ryu clicked his tongue irritably, covering his ears. Then he lifted his size-43 boot and firmly "massaged" the shrieking ghoul's face into the concrete.
Mado Akira, having just dispatched her opponent, stood nearby, her pale face flecked with splatters of ghoul blood.
"Where'd you get the gun?"
Uesugi Ryu loomed over the crippled ghoul, voice laced with menace.
He hadn't killed him outright, he wanted information.
Ghouls that used firearms weren't common, but he remembered that during the raid on Aogiri Tree, there had been a group with some surprisingly heavy firepower.
"I-I bought it! There are ghouls selling this kind of stuff, I can take you to them! Please, I'm begging you, let me live!"
The ghoul broke down into sobs, snot and tears streaming, pitiful as a kicked dog.
Uesugi Ryu stared at him for a long moment. His gut told him this guy was lying, he'd replied too quickly, too certainly. Most likely trying to talk his way out of death.
Still, he had to admire the survival instinct. Just moments ago he'd been arrogant and overbearing. Now he was groveling like a rat.
"I actually liked you better when you were being a cocky bastard," Uesugi Ryu said with a smirk.
The ghoul's face froze. He forced a flattering smile.
Then, "But even if you beg, it's no use."
Without another word, Uesugi Ryu swung his blade.
One more burst of mana. One more death.
...
[You have killed an A-Grade Ghoul]
[Talent: Soul Devour activated. Mana permanently increased by 9 points]
[Energy increased by 9 points. Current energy: 30/100. Draw Chance: 1]
[Mana has increased by 64 points total. Current mana: 370 points]
Uesugi Ryu glanced over the rewards, mood visibly brightening.
He even started to hum a little tune under his breath:
"What a beautiful day..."
With light footsteps, he walked over to Mado Akira.
Leaning down slightly, his gaze fell upon her bloodstained face.
In a casual, cheerful motion, he slipped a hand into his pocket and rummaged around. A moment later, he produced a brand-new pack of wet wipes and tossed it gently to her.
It arced through the air and landed perfectly in Akira's hand.
"Wipe up," Uesugi Ryu said softly, his tone surprisingly gentle.
As for how his pockets always had exactly what he needed? Don't ask. That's the perk of having a storage space.
Mado Akira caught the wipes reflexively, her eyes showing a hint of surprise.
She looked up at the boy in the school uniform, Uesugi Ryu, and felt something strange stir inside her.
Up until now, the side of Uesugi Ryu she saw most often was the one that treated life like a game, carefree and irreverent. But at this moment, the concern in his gesture was real and rare.
Despite his occasional nonsense, when it came to exterminating ghouls, he always transformed into a dependable leader.
As long as Uesugi Ryu was beside her, Akira could genuinely feel safe.
She was sensitive to the emotions of others, and she could sense the loneliness hidden beneath Uesugi Ryu's aloof exterior.
And maybe... she could relate.
"Thank you," she said quietly, using the wipes to clean the sticky blood from her face.
After a pause, she added:
"Having that kind of constitution... I bet it's dangerous, isn't it?"
As she finished wiping, she finally understood where Uesugi Ryu's laid-back attitude came from.
With a body that drew ghouls like moths to flame, joining the CCG might have been the only path open to him.
She had looked into his background before choosing to be his partner. And now, it seemed likely that Uesugi Ryu hadn't actually become a ghoul investigator by choice.
He probably only started fighting ghouls to survive, and once his abilities were discovered by her father, he was forced into the organization.
Uesugi Ryu paused for a moment before replying in an even tone:
"It's alright. After all, who's hunting who isn't always certain."
Mado Akira narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched his profile.
The more she got to know Uesugi Ryu...
The more curious she became.