Uesugi Ryu flicked his wrist, spinning the white greatsword in his hand. His figure vanished in an instant. A dazzling white arc flashed through the air.
Screams of agony and the sound of shattering limbs rang out in succession.
In mere moments, the once-aggressive mutated experiments lay motionless in pools of blood, lifeless corpses piled in heaps.
By now, Yoshimura Eto had already entered her Kakuja Form.
The Kakuja Form is shaped by a ghoul's imagination. As a One-Eyed Ghoul standing at the pinnacle of ghoulkind, Eto could freely mold the form of her armor-like Kagune.
Her current armor was vastly different from its former monstrous shape. Now a mere two meters tall and humanoid in shape, its compact structure gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen. Much of the interior plating was composed of Koukaku, ensuring high defense.
One arm had transformed into a massive, thin blade, while the other had become an unusually heavy shield. The entire armor was covered with fine, slender spikes, each lined with rows of hooked barbs. Her chest was protected by a dense layer of spiked armor.
Uesugi Ryu looked at the spiky creature before him and felt a headache coming on.
Those tiny barbs could easily snag his blade, not good news. With no armor on, his margin for error was low. Killing Eto in this state would be nothing short of impossible.
Uesugi Ryu hesitated. But truthfully, Eto was equally unsure.
Now that Kamishiro Rize had been killed by Uesugi Ryu, Eto had to secure Yoshimura Kuzen as the next experimental subject.
While it might seem like the height of unfilial mockery, Eto harbored deep resentment toward her "father." Doing this would help her vent that hatred.
With the CCG's Owl Suppression Operation approaching, she couldn't afford to get injured. If she did, she wouldn't be able to rescue Yoshimura Kuzen later. Without him, all of her future experiments would grind to a halt.
The two stood at a distance, locked in a silent standoff.
Uesugi Ryu was strongest when fighting alone. He could unleash all of his skills without worry. Massive mana surged within him, compressing into power.
The crimson energy wrapping his blade grew dense enough to take shape. The once-pale greatsword transformed into a ferocious bloodblade. The red energy rippled with brilliant hues, and the golden hue in Uesugi Ryu's eyes flowed like molten lava.
Eto's Koukaku armor had a smaller head compared to before, but it looked far more elegant and fearsome. Her helmet resembled a medieval knight's, pure white with a Kakugan glowing at its center, locked onto Uesugi Ryu's gaze.
Something about her design struck him as oddly familiar. He could've sworn he'd just killed someone who looked almost exactly like that.
With a crisp crack of his neck, Uesugi Ryu and Eto, like two sprinters at the sound of the starting pistol, rushed toward each other simultaneously.
The warm-up was over. Time for the main event.
The dozens of meters between them vanished in a blink.
Their blades clashed, Elegy versus Eto's arm-blade, sending sparks flying.
Unsurprisingly, Uesugi Ryu's bloodblade had the edge, carving a large notch into Eto's Kagune weapon.
Eto didn't flinch. Her massive shield slammed toward Uesugi Ryu's chest.
A storm-like gust burst out. Muscles tensing, Uesugi Ryu parried the blade aside and advanced. His greatsword traced a crimson arc and slashed into Eto's armored flank.
The sharp blade tore through the near-impenetrable shell, and crimson energy seeped in, disrupting her regenerative ability.
With a grunt, Eto's nearby spikes folded inward and clamped tightly onto the blade.
At the same time, her massive arm-blade slashed downward like a bolt of lightning.
Uesugi Ryu growled and yanked his blade free. The barbs and blade screamed as they scraped, sparks flying.
His speed surged, he dodged effortlessly and blinked to her side, once again aiming a slash at her stomach.
But Eto had figured it out.
After fighting him and watching his match against Kamishiro Matasaka, she'd realized: Uesugi Ryu was a lefty.
A person's dominant hand and fighting habits are almost impossible to change.
And Uesugi Ryu relied heavily on his speed and guerilla-style harassment in combat.
This time, Eto correctly predicted his landing point. Her shield was already in place.
Clang!
Blade met shield and sparks burst outward.
Even so, Uesugi Ryu's bloodblade bit into the massive shield, gouging a jagged crack.
He raised an eyebrow, surprised, but undeterred. Thinking too much in a fight was asking to die.
Eto's giant blade swept in again. A burst of gale-force wind howled across the room.
Uesugi Ryu ducked, the blade narrowly skimmed his back, scattering his black hair.
Eto followed up with a vicious kick to his chest.
He blocked with his blade, but was still sent skidding backward a dozen meters. His arms went slightly numb.
Then, a red glow pulsed at Eto's chest.
Spikes exploded outward, dozens of deep-red projectiles flooding toward Uesugi Ryu.
Simultaneously, Eto dashed in with shocking speed. The floor crumbled beneath her.
This time, she held nothing back. She needed to vent her rage. Without her armor, Uesugi Ryu was vulnerable, now was the moment to take him out.
Even if she couldn't kill him, she had to cripple him.
Uesugi Ryu spun his blade in a wide defensive arc and began dashing through the spacious lab.
Eto caught up instantly. Blade met blade once more.
Their movements blurred. Blades clashed. Sparks erupted, so intense they looked like molten steel in a forge.
"This looks just like a pretty set of fireworks..." Uesugi Ryu thought idly.
Flames danced across his face, the searing heat licking at his skin.
His blood boiled. His mouth curled upward in exhilaration.
Another collision. Eto's blade, already tattered, shattered with a deafening snap.
Her shoulder Kagune twisted, flinging the broken shards toward him.
Instant Step activated. Uesugi Ryu sidestepped and launched forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks.
They battled out of the lab into the open. The pristine interior was now a warzone. Craters marred the ground like artillery shells had fallen.
Eto's heat visor flickered. Uesugi Ryu hadn't used his Phantom Clone ability much, but that wasn't his only trick.
She gritted her teeth, desperately parrying with her battered shield. A new blade was rapidly forming on her arm.
But before she could relax-
Uesugi Ryu's lips moved slightly.
FLASH.
A blinding light erupted, bright as the sun, filling the lab.
Eto, wearing only one thermal visor, had left her Kakugan exposed.
The searing light pierced into her retina. Her tears streamed uncontrollably. The world went white.
She shut her eye on reflex. The glowing red energy on her armor dimmed.
Uesugi Ryu did not miss this opening.
With a sonic boom, his greatsword cleaved off Eto's shield arm at the elbow.
Blood exploded. The mangled shield and severed forearm crashed to the ground.
Eto looked utterly wretched.
But her true body remained unharmed.
She unleashed a wave of pyramid-shaped crystal projectiles to stall Uesugi Ryu, then turned and fled.
Another retreat. Shame burned through Eto's heart. Her beautiful face twisted in fury.
"That bastard!!!"
Outside the lab was a large sewage basin.
Eto quickly shed her armor, wrapping herself in bandages, and plunged into the filthy water.
Uesugi Ryu didn't pursue. Nor did he want to.
He stared at the dark, murky water with a frown, shook his head, and said with visible disdain:
"Disgusting."