Uesugi Ryu's expression grew somewhat grim. Though it looked like he currently held the advantage, in truth, that advantage had come at the steep cost of rapidly depleting his own mana.
Not even two minutes had passed since the battle began, and already his internal mana reserve had dropped by more than seventy points.
He glanced at the large wounds he had inflicted on Yoshimura Eto earlier. On their surfaces, RC cells bubbled like tiny blisters, squirming as they slowly repaired her damaged tissue.
Yoshimura Eto spun around with surprising agility for her massive form while her two greatsword-shaped kagune carved elegant arcs through the air.
Uesugi Ryu stomped the ground and leapt backward. After dodging her strike, his footwork shifted, and his entire body shot diagonally forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
From here on, he had to fight with greater stability. His earlier aggressive burst had mainly been a test, to gauge the hardness of Yoshimura Eto's kakuja shell.
He had approached it with a probing mindset.
It was hard. In dual-blade form, even for Jason, he would struggle to inflict meaningful damage. The greatsword was bulkier and slower, but its destructive power was significantly higher.
With Blood Frenzy enhancing the edge, he was still able to slice through Yoshimura Eto's kagune cleanly.
Yoshimura Eto wasn't affected by CRC gas, but her underlings certainly were. Even wearing gas masks, they couldn't fully block the debilitating effects of the CRC.
At that moment, a narrow streak of blue fire cut across the sky, like a kind of signal.
Yoshimura Eto's brow twitched. Her massive form suddenly leapt downward toward the lower levels.
She hadn't come here for some honorable one-on-one duel with Uesugi Ryu. Realizing that she couldn't overpower him for now, she suppressed her fury for the moment.
"If I can't beat you," Yoshimura Eto sneered coldly, "can't I at least kill the other Doves?"
Her lips curled into a smile, sharp and frigid as a blade.
At the same time, her killing intent locked onto the investigators below, Aura Kiyoko and the others currently surrounding Tatara.
Watching everything from the top floor, Uesugi Ryu's brow furrowed, an irritated look on his face.
His steps twisted sharply and with a flicker, he leapt from the high ledge, plunging downward at full speed.
In the blink of an eye, a beautifully crafted, short dagger-type Quinque silently appeared in his hand.
With a flick of the wrist, Uesugi Ryu drove the blade into the wall, using it to slow his fall, then slid downward at astonishing speed.
...
SS-level.
As the heavy prison doors slowly opened, a tall, long-haired man with a thick moustache sat slumped against the wall in the deep shadows.
A leading Aogiri Tree ghoul entered the room, followed by a few underlings. He spoke calmly.
"Shachi-sama, you're free now. If you want to learn more about Kamishiro Rize, then please help us stop the investigators outside."
Kamishiro Matasaka slowly raised his head, his once-imposing face now looked gaunt.
In order to prevent escapes, Cochlea hadn't been feeding the prisoners at all these last few days.
Seeing Kamishiro Matasaka in this state, the leading ghoul immediately understood as he waved a hand.
The ghoul standing beside him sprang into action, releasing his kagune and instantly killing the other two subordinates.
Pointing to the corpses, the leader's tone remained utterly emotionless.
"Make it quick."
A trace of unmistakable disgust appeared on Kamishiro Matasaka's face, but he didn't say anything.
In a moment like this, where life and death were on the line, he desperately needed to replenish his depleted RC cells. Ordinary food wouldn't come close to meeting his body's needs.
It was well known that ghouls' kakuhou stored vast amounts of RC cells. As long as he could devour them, he could swiftly restore his combat strength.
Driven by the urgent need to recover, Kamishiro Matasaka stopped caring about the method.
After replenishing his energy, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and vanished from sight, heading directly toward Tatara's battlefield.
...
A tidal wave of roaring blue flames surged forth with overwhelming momentum.
Facing this sudden and deadly strike, Mado Kureo raised his massive, sturdy umbrella-type Quinque, blocking with all his strength.
In that instant, a thunderous explosion rang out. The blue fire slammed into the Quinque, sending up a shower of sparks and a tremendous shockwave.
Mado Kureo was forced several steps backward by the impact as the intense heat conducted through the Quinque made sweat bead on his forehead.
Aura Kiyoko, who had been waiting for an opening at the side, seized the moment and dashed in.
Her arms swung the dual-bladed Zebizu, tracing an arc toward Tatara's legs.
The twin blades slashed down, and a chilling ripping sound echoed.
Tatara's left leg was nearly half-severed as blood splattered across the floor, staining it bright red.
Meanwhile, Hoji Kosuke and Hirako Take rushed in from either side, their weapons raised.
Tatara, with a twist of his arms, unleashed a blast of blue fire, forcing them both back but his expression turned grave.
The CRC was already affecting him noticeably, and the energy cost of releasing flames was also immense.
At this rate, he'd be finished sooner or later.
On the other side, Mado Kureo lowered his eyes to examine the Quinque in his hands.
Its surface had been charred black and was on the verge of shattering.
He sighed and gave a light flick of his wrist, tossing the wrecked weapon aside.
The hand that had gripped it was now bright red from the heat.
Suddenly, a harsh whistling sound cut through the air, growing louder by the second.
Mado Kureo's heart clenched as he looked up toward the source.
In the sky, a massive object was plummeting toward them at terrifying speed.
"Get back!" Mado Kureo shouted, dashing away with all his strength.
A colossal boom shook the ground as the One-Eyed Owl slammed down.
The shockwave from the impact carved a deep crater into the floor while debris and dust exploded in every direction.
Mado Kureo had narrowly escaped. Thanks to his quick reaction, there were no serious injuries.
But his face was deathly pale.
Sweat beaded on his forehead and in his heart, he couldn't help but worry about Uesugi Ryu's safety.
Yoshimura Eto wasted no time. Upon landing, she charged straight at Aura Kiyoko and the others.
The fury she had bottled up needed release, Uesugi Ryu had repeatedly humiliated her, and she had to take it out on someone.
A wicked grin spread across her face.
The kagune behind her erupted with dazzling red light.