The greatsword in Uesugi Ryu's hands sliced through the air with a sharp roar as he slashed straight at Yoshimura Eto.
At the very moment the two clashed, Uesugi Ryu's speed surged again, transforming into a blur of afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he had already flashed behind Yoshimura Eto.
The two figures passed by each other.
A moment later, a squelch rang out.
Yoshimura Eto's snow-white forearm was severed cleanly by Uesugi Ryu's blade.
Losing the support of her front limb, her balance was instantly broken, and she crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, appearing thoroughly disheveled.
Uesugi Ryu didn't pause for even a moment. With a twist of his wrist, he raised the greatsword again and lunged toward the fallen Yoshimura Eto.
Facing Uesugi Ryu's fierce assault, Yoshimura Eto reacted like a startled porcupine. The white-red spikes on the back of her kakuja shell suddenly lit up with blinding crimson light.
Countless conical crystal projectiles blasted outward, filling the air and raining down toward Uesugi Ryu in a deadly barrage.
Uesugi Ryu moved swiftly around Yoshimura Eto, evading with ease. The spikes didn't touch him, but instead, they struck with perfect accuracy, destroying most of the surveillance systems on that level.
Having temporarily forced Uesugi Ryu back, multiple kakuhou began to appear across Yoshimura Eto's body. Crimson light flickered again and again as large numbers of kagune emerged.
At the same time, the massive frame of her kakuja began condensing and shrinking, gradually shifting toward a humanoid form.
Yoshimura Eto's humanoid form was not slowed at all, being a speed-type fighter herself, she understood well that it was inappropriate to continue fighting Uesugi Ryu in a quadrupedal beast form.
Aura Kiyoko was briefly taken aback at the sight, a trace of surprise flashing across her face. She now understood that Uesugi Ryu truly didn't need assistance from her or Hirako Take.
Hirako Take glanced at Uesugi Ryu and spoke into his earpiece in a low voice:
"First Class Uesugi, sudden unrest has broken out in the 24th Ward. Arima-san says he'll arrive in ten minutes at the earliest. Can you hold out?"
"No problem."
With a smooth slash that cut through an incoming kagune, Uesugi Ryu replied calmly.
Upon hearing that, Hirako Take gave Aura Kiyoko a nod, and the two of them immediately rushed down toward the lower levels.
Yoshimura Eto cast a cold glance at Uesugi Ryu as the severed kagune fell from her body like discarded trash.
Within the kakuja shell, her real eyes shimmered with boiling murderous intent. At this moment, Yoshimura Eto truly made up her mind to eliminate Uesugi Ryu.
The strength he had displayed was already crossing the line. If things continued like this, it would destabilize the balance of power between humans and ghouls.
It would also pose a serious obstacle to her and Arima Kishou's One-Eyed King plan.
The areas slashed by Uesugi Ryu were extremely difficult to regenerate, so she simply chose to abandon them. With more kakuhou than fingers, she couldn't care less about a few sacrifices.
After reconfiguring her kakuja form, Yoshimura Eto directed a greatsword-shaped kagune at Uesugi Ryu while continuously launching pale red conical crystal spikes from her back, aiming to compress his evasion space.
Uesugi Ryu twisted his torso and easily deflected the strike. Sparks flew as his greatsword clashed with her hardened kagune.
At this point, Yoshimura Eto's kakuja form had begun to resemble the manager's to some degree. She had traded her massive frame for a significant boost in defense.
The purple-red greatsword and the massive kagune blade clashed wildly. Blinding flashes of steel filled the air as the two became locked in fierce combat.
The dense CRC gas was pushed away by the shockwaves of their battle, leaving this area as the only clear zone amid the haze.
Yoshimura Eto's eyes flashed red. Her previously severed arm had now fully regenerated, and she thrust her fingers, shaped like blades, violently toward Uesugi Ryu's abdomen.
Uesugi Ryu's lips curled into a slight smirk as his form suddenly became blurry.
The razor-sharp claws pierced through his torso, yet the expected scene of blood spraying never came as his figure slowly dissipated like a phantom.
As his intelligence and mastery of Phantom Clone increased, Uesugi Ryu was now able to use it skillfully in actual combat.
Yoshimura Eto quickly twisted her body, eyes alert as she scanned her surroundings.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"A projection?"
Just as she was puzzled, her keen sense of smell caught a trace of Uesugi Ryu's scent.
She sniffed gently, raised her head in the direction the scent came from, and in that instant, her gaze locked onto a spot in mid-air.
A triumphant smile curled on her lips.
"So I've finally caught you!"
The massive kagune blade slashed through the air with a roaring wind, hurtling toward Uesugi Ryu's position in the air.
But before she could feel pleased even for a second, Uesugi Ryu suddenly flashed out from another direction.
In the next instant, he delivered a brutal kick straight to the side of her face.
A muffled boom rang out.
The massive force of the blow knocked the towering kakuja form off balance. Her entire body staggered back several steps, and even the huge single eye had been deformed by the kick.
Uesugi Ryu pressed the attack, both hands gripping his tightly gripping his long sword. The wide blade drew a sweeping arc in mid-air before slamming hard into Yoshimura Eto's torso.
Blood sprayed out in torrents, and intense pain followed.
Humiliated once again, Yoshimura Eto's small chest heaved as she panted heavily.
That kick hadn't caused much damage, but it was deeply insulting.
In her unstable kakuja state, her mental condition worsened even further.
A trace of madness flashed in her eyes as her flawless face twisted with rage.
"Damn rat! I'll kill you! I'll tear you to pieces!!"
Two massive kagune arms grew from her back, lunging at Uesugi Ryu's thighs.
But Uesugi Ryu showed no fear in the face of her crazed threats.
His lips curled into a mocking smile.
He flickered and activated Instant Step, retreating at astonishing speeds. In the blink of an eye, he had already widened the gap between them.
His gaze locked coldly onto Yoshimura Eto, now visibly shaken, and he spoke with mocking amusement:
"Looks like your one eye isn't doing so well. I suggest getting glasses."
Upon hearing this, the monstrous face of the kakuja form twisted unnaturally, its muscles spasmed uncontrollably.
Her teeth clenched tightly. Two rows of snow-white fangs ground against each other, letting out a sharp and grating screech.
Suddenly, two more massive kagune arms sprouted from her back!
Combined with the original four, she now had six arms in total!
These arms flailed like a storm-crazed demon, sweeping toward Uesugi Ryu with an overwhelming momentum.
The air was torn apart, terrifying gales howling as they surged toward him like a tidal wave.
Faced with such ferocious attacks, Uesugi Ryu let out a helpless sigh, one brow slightly raised.
"Already enraged? That's it? Your tolerance is pathetic."
After silently complaining to himself, Uesugi Ryu didn't say another word.
He flickered again, narrowly dodging the violent barrage of strikes.
The shattered floor sent debris flying in every direction, clattering noisily against Uesugi Ryu's armor.