When that bolt of lightning came from behind, Byakuya's sharp reflexes made him glance back instinctively.
He saw Arima holding "Narukami" in its cannon form. Narukami was a high-grade Quinque with an overall rating of S+.
Unlike Byakuya's simple B-rated weapon, Narukami could freely switch between three attack modes:
Cannon Mode: Fires long-range electrical bolts.
Pincer Mode: Releases multiple spherical electrical projectiles.
Blade Mode: Concentrates electricity at the sword's tip for devastating melee strikes.
A versatile, extremely lethal high-grade Quinque that Arima used as his primary weapon. To date, no ghoul had survived Narukami's attacks.
Though... this Quinque was made from the kagune of Touka Kirishima's mother—Hikari Kirishima...
Hikari's maiden name was Yomo Hikari. She was Renji Yomo's older sister. Both siblings possessed RC cells with a unique electrical property—a special talent that set them apart from ordinary ghouls.
The exact mechanism was unclear. Just as Tatara of Aogiri Tree had a special flame attribute, it might be some kind of genetic mutation.
Touka and Ayato Kirishima hadn't inherited their mother's electrical abilities.
Still marveling at Narukami's terrifying power, Byakuya momentarily forgot to put Kurona down.
Kurona didn't show much resistance either. Her body had gone stiff, her cheeks slightly flushed, a mix of shock and embarrassment on her face.
She understood Byakuya had acted to save her. She wasn't the type to be unreasonable—and she certainly wouldn't do something like slap him in a knee-jerk reaction.
But still... he'd been holding her for quite a while now...
Her hands had nowhere to go. Her mind was so scrambled she could barely feel her own arms.
Finally, she couldn't hold back: "How... how long are you planning to hold me like this...?"
"Ah, sorry."
Byakuya immediately set her down.
"You don't really need to apologize..."
Kurona murmured quietly.
"Kurona!"
Nashiro rushed over, worry written all over her face.
"I'm fine. But I ruined things for us..."
Kurona's voice was heavy with self-reproach.
She'd nearly gotten herself killed by a ghoul and had to be rescued by Byakuya. That meant both she and Nashiro had failed.
And it was her fault Nashiro failed too...
"That doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're okay, Kurona."
Nashiro cared far more about her sister's safety than whether they'd succeeded.
Byakuya returned to where Arima stood, with the Yasuhisa sisters following behind.
Embarrassed by their poor performance, both kept their heads slightly lowered.
Arima still hadn't returned Narukami to its briefcase—the other pair of boys wasn't faring well either.
"I think I might've been unnecessary just now."
Byakuya smiled awkwardly.
Given how perfectly timed Arima's Narukami strike was, even if Byakuya hadn't grabbed Kurona, the ghoul wouldn't have had a chance to hurt her.
But Kurona didn't see it that way. Byakuya's intention had been to save her, and that was what mattered.
"No. You did well."
Arima said evenly.
Hearing Arima praise Byakuya, Hairu Ihei immediately took notice.
After all, what she wanted most was recognition from Arima. She'd worked incredibly hard for it.
She didn't say anything, but her gaze fixed on Byakuya in silence.
Byakuya could feel Hairu's stare. He knew exactly why she was looking at him that way—best to just pretend he didn't notice.
"You really did do well. This proves you're not only capable of eliminating ghouls, but also of protecting your teammates when facing them. Honestly, your individual ability exceeded my expectations."
Koori Ui added his own praise. "Of course, Suzuya Juuzou performed admirably as well."
From this single engagement, he could tell both newcomers had exceptional potential—especially Byakuya, who'd immediately demonstrated combat ability beyond what most Rank 2 investigators could muster.
"As for Yasuhisa Kurona, you need to seriously reflect on what happened. Losing focus while fighting a ghoul is a critical mistake. Never let it happen again."
While praising Byakuya and Suzuya, Koori Ui didn't forget to admonish Kurona.
Nashiro's performance had been acceptable—no lecture needed there.
If Kurona hadn't lost concentration, the sisters' excellent teamwork would have let them quickly gain control and defeat their ghoul.
Finally, the two boys had performed adequately despite a more difficult fight. They'd made no major errors and ultimately succeeded.
In other words, of the three pairs, only Kurona and Nashiro had failed.
Kurona couldn't help feeling dejected. Even if Nashiro didn't care, she still blamed herself.
Sensing her sister's low spirits, Nashiro grew concerned. "Kurona..."
"Don't take a single mistake too hard. Just make sure you don't repeat it next time."
Byakuya offered some encouragement.
"Easy for you to say..."
But Kurona quickly reconsidered. "...Actually, you're right. The internship isn't over yet."
Byakuya's words seemed to help. Kurona pulled herself together, determined to redeem herself next time.
"Looks like you're all ready to continue. Let's move on."
Koori Ui gave the order.
"Amaha-san is really impressive—both Koori Ui-senpai and Arima-san praised him."
As they proceeded deeper into the labyrinth, Shio came over to chat with Byakuya again.
"Don't think I don't know Squad Zero is the elite of the elite. You're definitely stronger than me, Shio."
Byakuya replied casually.
"No, no way."
Shio grinned, the happiness from being complimented showing plainly on his face.
Meanwhile, behind Byakuya, Kurona had been subtly edging closer. She wanted to ask him something.
But Shio was in the way.
She also didn't know Shio's actual gender—judging by appearance alone, she assumed Shio was a girl.
Watching Shio stick close to Byakuya, chatting and laughing, only made Kurona more inexplicably irritated.