Yoshimura Kuzen looked at Uesugi Ryu in front of him with a complicated expression.
His old friend Kamishiro Matasaka, together with his adopted daughter, had both died at the hands of this man.
But the world had changed.
He was old now. No longer the hot-blooded young man he once was, and he no longer wished to continue this endless cycle of killing.
"Take his dominant hand away, just like what happened to the superior of his superior (Iba Fujishige). As for what happens afterward, leave it to Kaneki-kun and the others."
That had been Yoshimura Kuzen's earlier plan. For that reason he had once again regained his strength.
This open area was a good place to fight.
Uesugi Ryu swung the long blade in his hand, his offensive momentarily pausing.
He lightly pressed the mechanism on the handle. A series of clicking mechanical sounds rang out.
The bone-like greatblade extended again. The heavy blade unfolded, the cutting edge expanding.
It was like a white serpent that had been coiled together finally stretching its body.
Shang had two forms. After expanding, the blade became thinner and sharper, but the tradeoff was a slight reduction in durability.
Now that Uesugi Ryu was wearing armor, he did not have to worry that a weapon malfunction would cause him to lose everything. His margin for error had greatly increased.
Dark red energy wrapped around his entire body.
The Molten Abyss armor was covered in spikes all over. It was itself an extremely terrifying weapon.
Inside the armor, a trace of helplessness flashed across Uesugi Ryu's face.
If it were not for the need to guard against Yoshimura Eto and others, he would have activated Molten Abyss's berserk state without hesitation and ended the battle quickly.
Yoshimura Kuzen was not foolish enough to watch Uesugi Ryu stack buffs.
He rushed forward. The two blue giant blades slashed through the night toward him.
Uesugi Ryu stepped on the ground and leapt lightly, perfectly avoiding the strike.
Gripping the blade with both hands, he swung with explosive force, aiming straight for Yoshimura Kuzen's head.
Yoshimura Kuzen had extremely rich combat experience. At the very instant Uesugi Ryu's blade was about to hit him, his massive body moved with surprising agility and dodged to the side.
With a thunderous boom, the blade missed and slammed deeply into the hard ground, sending fragments of stone and dust flying.
Taking advantage of the opening, Yoshimura Kuzen's greatsword swept horizontally.
The blade cut through the air, bringing with it a fierce gust as it roared toward Uesugi Ryu.
But Uesugi Ryu showed no fear. Now he was not afraid of competing in strength. His hands gripped the handle firmly and blocked in front of him.
A harsh tearing sound rang out.
Powerful force traveled through the handle into Uesugi Ryu's body. He redirected the force, smashing the ground beneath his right foot.
Yoshimura Kuzen continued his pursuit. The massive blue greatsword thrust directly toward Uesugi Ryu's chest.
At the same time, he quickly closed the distance.
He kicked up with his foot and stomped heavily on Shang's blade, attempting to disable Uesugi Ryu's weapon.
Facing this tricky thrust, Uesugi Ryu hurriedly twisted his body to dodge.
At the same time, he stubbornly held onto the end of the handle, trying desperately to pull the blade free.
Meanwhile, the greatsword on Yoshimura Kuzen's shoulder swept horizontally again, attempting to force Uesugi Ryu back.
But at that moment, Yoshimura Kuzen's brows suddenly furrowed slightly, a strange feeling rising in his heart.
For some reason, he felt that something was not quite right. Uesugi Ryu's performance at this moment seemed somewhat underwhelming.
In an instant, the situation changed.
The greatblade that Uesugi Ryu had been gripping suddenly disappeared without a trace.
The sudden change caught Yoshimura Kuzen off guard. He immediately lost his footing.
His center of gravity shifted, and his body tilted slightly to the side.
Uesugi Ryu, who had been waiting for this moment, showed a flash of success in his eyes.
His left arm swung violently, and the hidden punch blade there suddenly unfolded, flashing with cold light.
In the next moment, he surged forward like lightning.
The punch blade drew three crimson arcs through the air, landing precisely on Yoshimura Kuzen's chest.
A soft tearing sound echoed.
The punch blade easily tore through Yoshimura Kuzen's clothes and skin, cutting deeply into him.
A huge claw-like wound stretched from his left chest to his right abdomen.
In an instant, blood-red energy spread wildly inward from the wound.
In the blink of an eye, large amounts of blood flowed down Yoshimura Kuzen's chest, staining the ground beneath his feet.
Suffering such a heavy blow, Yoshimura Kuzen let out a muffled groan.
Only now did he suddenly realize where the strange feeling he sensed earlier had come from.
Uesugi Ryu sighed inwardly.
"Don't say I fought dishonorably, Store Manager."
Blood flowed down from the punch blade on his left arm. Uesugi Ryu once again retrieved the greatblade from his storage space.
Yoshimura Kuzen was not angry.
In battle, one used every possible method. He had understood this principle earlier than Uesugi Ryu.
Or rather, for the sake of survival, whether something was honorable or despicable did not matter.
Uesugi Ryu also wanted to fight Yoshimura Kuzen in an upright duel.
Unfortunately, this was a battlefield, not a dueling ground.
Both men had countless thoughts in their minds, but neither spoke even a single word.
The silent slaughter continued.
This time their roles reversed. Uesugi Ryu took the initiative to attack.
He dragged the greatblade across the ground as he advanced.
The sharp edge carved deep grooves into the earth.
A chill suddenly ran down Yoshimura Kuzen's spine.
A deadly sense of danger spread through him.
The Kakuhou on his back rapidly expanded, forming a bone-like armor that covered his vital points. His arms crossed again in front of his body in defense.
Instant Step activated. Uesugi Ryu's speed skyrocketed in an instant. A series of dazzling sparks flashed behind him.
Holding the freezing greatblade tightly in one hand, Uesugi Ryu dashed toward Yoshimura Kuzen.
At the moment he closed in, he suddenly swung the blade upward with force.
In an instant, the blade flashed like lightning across the night sky, carrying a terrifying whistling sound.
The enormous kinetic energy generated by his astonishing speed caused the blade to cut into the two blue greatswords as easily as slicing tofu.
A loud clang rang out. Sparks flew everywhere, deafening in intensity.
Under the powerful impact, Yoshimura Kuzen's body was forced backward.
His previously tight defensive posture collapsed instantly. His chest was completely exposed within Uesugi Ryu's attack range.
Uesugi Ryu pressed the advantage step by step.
Seeing the danger, Yoshimura Kuzen immediately extended the snow-white claws in front of him and viciously grabbed toward Uesugi Ryu's abdomen.
But Uesugi Ryu reacted extremely quickly. He stomped the ground with both feet and used the recoil force to leap into the air.
Then he delivered a fierce knee strike that slammed directly into Yoshimura Kuzen's shoulder.
As the strike landed, the spike on the knee of the armor also pierced deeply into the muscles of Yoshimura Kuzen's shoulder.
Uesugi Ryu continued the attack.
He twisted his body and smashed an elbow toward Yoshimura Kuzen's face.
The spikes distributed across the armor had become lethal weapons.
The elbow moved like a blade. The spike on the elbow pierced straight through Yoshimura Kuzen's Kakuja mask.
Fortunately, Yoshimura Kuzen reacted quickly enough to raise his head at the last moment.
Even so, the strike pierced straight through his jaw.
The face was rich with nerves. Yoshimura Kuzen could not help but let out a painful groan.
His pale claws climbed onto Uesugi Ryu's armor, the sharp joints carving two long shallow marks across it.
Uesugi Ryu did not care about this kind of attack.
He kicked Yoshimura Kuzen's chest fiercely with his left foot and used the force to leap backward.
The spikes on his knee and elbow were still deeply embedded in Yoshimura Kuzen's body. As Uesugi Ryu moved, they continued tearing through Yoshimura Kuzen's flesh.
In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. Flesh and fragments flew. A thick metallic scent of blood spread through the air.
Most of Yoshimura Kuzen's body was dyed crimson.
His face was ripped open by the spikes.
Half of his originally sturdy mask shattered apart, revealing the weathered face beneath.
"Cough. Cough. Cough."
Yoshimura Kuzen coughed violently. Each cough brought up a mouthful of blood.
His face turned pale and his breathing grew weaker.
The intense pain and bleeding effect caused by Blood Frenzy was no joke.
With massive blood loss, Yoshimura Kuzen's vision began to blur. He gasped heavily.
Uesugi Ryu pulled the greatblade out of Yoshimura Kuzen's body.
Just as he was about to continue the attack, Marude Itsuki's somewhat excited voice suddenly came through the earpiece.
"Ryu, the other Owl has appeared."
"Arima's dealing with it, but judging from the situation the battlefield will soon shift toward your position."
"The enemy's objective should be a rescue. Shinohara and the others are also heading toward you. Let us eliminate both Owls in one go."
"I understand."
Uesugi Ryu did not say much, only responding calmly.
Marude Itsuki's plan sounded perfect.
Unfortunately, Arima Kishou was purely acting. When the time came, who would be fighting whom was still uncertain.
In fact, there was no need for Marude Itsuki to remind him. Out of the corner of his eye Uesugi Ryu had already seen the pale yellow lightning emitted by Narukami.
For a moment, certain thoughts surfaced in his mind. A trace of regret flashed through his eyes.
Immediately afterward, Uesugi Ryu spun like lightning. The greatblade in his hand followed the motion.
The crimson energy covering the blade grew even brighter.
Gripping the handle with his left hand, Uesugi Ryu exerted his full strength and swung a horizontal slash toward Yoshimura Kuzen.
Yoshimura Kuzen squeezed out his final strength. Enduring the pain and weakness, he raised the two greatswords in front of him once more.
A red-white blade flash cut through the air.
With a sharp tearing sound, the already battered greatswords were severed instantly.
The greatblade continued forward and slashed across Yoshimura Kuzen's abdomen.
The dark red energy no longer hid its fangs and surged inward wildly.
The wound on his abdomen connected with the earlier wound on his chest, forming a long line of blood.
The crimson energy gathered like a converging army, surging violently and invading every part of Yoshimura Kuzen's body.
With a heavy thud, Yoshimura Kuzen's massive body collapsed.
The Kakuja shell began to fall apart piece by piece.
He no longer had the strength to move even a single step.
Covered in armor, Yoshimura Kuzen could not see Uesugi Ryu's face.
In his fading consciousness, Ukina appeared before him once again.
A relieved smile appeared on Yoshimura Kuzen's lips.
"Sayonara."
Uesugi Ryu rotated the greatblade in his hand, preparing to deliver the final blow.
At that moment, a dark red meteor streaked across the sky.
Yoshimura Eto's enormous body crashed straight toward Uesugi Ryu.
In an instant, a terrifying pressure like a violent storm swept in.
Uesugi Ryu immediately sidestepped and retreated, avoiding the attack.
Yoshimura Eto slammed onto the ground and stood in front of Yoshimura Kuzen.
Arima Kishou's figure arrived shortly afterward, rushing toward the battlefield.
"Hee..Hee! Hee.. Hee.. Hee."
Yoshimura Eto let out a strange laugh and looked at Uesugi Ryu with a provocative expression.
A smile curved across her lips. Now she was not afraid of Uesugi Ryu anymore.
"Bastard. Since you came, then die here together."
Uesugi Ryu sneered.
Inside his armor, the faint red glow suddenly brightened like the prelude to a volcanic eruption.
The crimson color spread rapidly. The armor on his body suddenly came alive.
Seeing Uesugi Ryu's attention drawn away, Hoito Roma, who had been waiting for an opportunity nearby, launched a sneak attack.
Her enormous and grotesque Kakuja shell charged forward like a heavy truck moving at full speed.
She raised her thick arm high and smashed a gigantic fist the size of a small car toward Uesugi Ryu.
"Ah. Ah... Ah.. Ah. Sneak attack success. Yay~"
Facing such a fierce attack, Uesugi Ryu remained unusually calm.
He turned his head and glanced at her lightly, showing no intention of dodging or retreating.
Just as the massive fist was about to reach him, Uesugi Ryu raised his right hand and directly caught the punch.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The entire scene fell into eerie silence.
But the silence lasted only an instant.
In the next second, a dull explosive sound erupted.
An invisible shockwave spread outward from the two of them.
The ground around them trembled violently. Dust and stones flew everywhere.
Uesugi Ryu's feet sank deep into the ground, leaving two enormous craters.
Yet despite the tremendous impact, his body remained as steady as a mountain.
"What??"
The scene shattered common sense. The three people present were all stunned.
Seeing this, Yoshimura Eto stopped talking and immediately swallowed Yoshimura Kuzen, preparing to escape.
But the moment she swallowed him, Uesugi Ryu's lips curved into a faint smile.
His left hand clenched into a fist.
In the next moment, the Blood Frenzy energy inside Yoshimura Kuzen's body responded to his control and began surging violently.
In the blink of an eye, large numbers of blood-red spikes exploded outward.
A dense series of tearing sounds echoed.
The razor-sharp blood spikes instantly pierced Yoshimura Eto's Kakuja shell like a hedgehog.
You have killed the SSS-rated ghoul Yoshimura Kuzen.
First kill of an SSS-rated ghoul. Reward: 5 attribute points.
Yoshimura Kuzen had already been on the verge of death. After suffering this final blow, he passed away peacefully.
"What?"
Yoshimura Eto groaned.
She looked in disbelief at her thigh, which had been pierced by the blood-red spikes.
The familiar, horrifying pain returned once again.
She felt like she was about to collapse. Uesugi Ryu, that scheming old bastard, always managed to give her a surprise.
Hoito Roma looked at Uesugi Ryu as if she had seen a ghost. How could someone catch her Chaos Punch with one hand?
She stepped back in shock, but soon a bright smile spread across her face again.
"Interesting."
The snow fell heavier and heavier.
White and red became the primary colors of this battlefield.
Pure white snowflakes landed on Arima Kishou's white hair.
A thin layer of mist gradually formed on the lenses of the glasses resting on his tall nose bridge.
Like a veil, it obscured his eyes.
The crimson monstrous armor stood out sharply in the snow.
He stood quietly in the center of the battlefield.
Uesugi Ryu gripped the greatblade tightly in his hand. The blade tip pointed diagonally toward the ground.
Threads of dark red blood slid along the sharp edge.
Drip.
It fell onto the white snow, instantly blooming into crimson flowers.
He slowly glanced over the enemies before him.
"Who's next?"