"Ryouko-san, Hinami-chan, let's go!"
Touka was the first to react.
She didn't have time to wonder about the masked man's identity. Getting them to safety was the priority.
"But..."
Ryouko's first instinct was to help. She didn't want to leave their rescuer to face such a powerful enemy alone.
But she quickly realized she was too weak to make any difference—and Hinami was still here.
She had to ensure Hinami's safety first.
Without further hesitation, Ryouko grabbed Hinami's hand and fled with Touka.
Neither Ryouko nor Touka realized who the masked man was as they left.
Unlike Hinami, they hadn't been secretly watching Byakuya at the café. They hadn't noticed what clothes he wore, so they didn't pick up on the connection.
Meanwhile, Yamori's aggression had completely shifted to Byakuya. He couldn't care less about the fleeing women anymore.
All he wanted was to tear apart whoever had dared attack him.
"AAAARGH—!"
Yamori roared and sent both rinkaku tentacles lashing at Byakuya.
But Byakuya could react to Yamori's attacks even without activating his Sharingan. With his Three-Tomoe Sharingan now active, Yamori's kagune might as well have been moving in slow motion.
Dodging was effortless.
Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger—Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
While evading, Byakuya formed hand seals in a blur and unleashed a Great Fireball.
At such close range, the massive fireball erupting from his mouth blasted Yamori into the air.
The temperature of the Great Fireball was effective against B-rated ghouls, but against a half-kakuja like Yamori—who was at minimum S-rated—it wasn't particularly threatening.
At most, the flames caused Yamori searing pain, but his regeneration outpaced the burns.
While Yamori was still airborne, Byakuya used the Body Flicker Technique to teleport above him.
An axe kick slammed down onto Yamori's head, sending him crashing to the ground like a downed aircraft.
Byakuya's tremendous force cratered the earth beneath Yamori.
But this level of power still wasn't quite enough for hand-to-hand combat against an S-rated ghoul.
Yamori sprang up immediately, using his two kagune tentacles to strike at Byakuya while he was still momentarily suspended in midair.
Byakuya used Body Flicker again to evade.
This time he appeared behind Yamori, toying with him like a monkey, and kicked him flying into a wall.
After suffering repeated humiliations, Yamori finally snapped. Driven by rage and shame, he unleashed his trump card.
His form began to change. Dark crimson kagune enveloped half his body, extending from his head down to his right arm. The massive claw formation on his right hand looked devastatingly powerful.
Aside from those rare geniuses born with two or even five kakuhou, ordinary ghouls typically had only one. Yamori possessed three—the other two obtained through cannibalism. This was why he could achieve kakuja transformation.
Without cannibalism, even ghouls born with multiple kagune types couldn't directly become half-kakuja. The only exception was the Washuu Clan, who were natural-born kakuja—though the original story never really showcased that setting.
"Aha... aha..."
In his half-kakuja form, Yamori's mind began to fracture. He gasped heavily as if struggling to breathe, his expression twisting into something feral.
His burst speed more than doubled. He lunged at Byakuya like a rabid beast.
[Ding! Host has used 383 Fusion Points. Fusion Progress +383. Current Fusion Progress: Lv2 (470/500)!]
Byakuya's expression didn't change. He calmly spent the points before engaging.
He'd been saving them precisely for moments like this.
The boost to his fusion progress brought significant improvements across the board, even without advancing to Lv3.
Against Yamori's half-kakuja form, C-rank ninjutsu probably wouldn't cut it anymore.
Rat—Ox—Dog—Horse—Monkey—Boar—Tiger—Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction!
Byakuya decisively used the B-rank technique Great Fire Destruction. While retreating rapidly, he expelled a fireball far larger than the Great Fireball Technique—with correspondingly greater power and destructive force.
The meteor-like sphere of fire hurtled toward Yamori, giving him no room to dodge or retreat.
Flames engulfed Yamori's body and spread across the ground. Byakuya had deliberately avoided the surrounding buildings—he didn't want civilian casualties.
These weren't ordinary flames. While not eternal like Amaterasu, they couldn't be easily extinguished and would only burn more intensely over time.
"AAAAAAAARGH!!!"
Yamori could only scream—whether from agony or impotent rage.
He had no way to deal with the flames continuously searing his body. Like a demon possessed, he pounded the ground, cratering it further.
Yet even in his madness, he immediately locked onto Byakuya and charged again, his entire body wreathed in fire.
Fire Style: Hiding in Ash Technique!
Byakuya used another B-rank technique. Chakra gathered in his throat.
From his mouth came a cloud of searing ash mixed with superheated flames. Upon contact with Yamori, it erupted outward.
The technique dealt additional thermal damage and disrupted Yamori's vision entirely. The widespread flames and scorching ash left him flailing blindly like a headless fly. The severe burns finally shattered what little sanity he had left.
Regeneration had its limits too. Constantly burning and constantly regenerating drained RC cells until none remained. Yamori's defeat was inevitable now—there was no coming back from this.
Byakuya landed lightly on a rooftop above, gazing down at the writhing, tormented Yamori with an expressionless face.
He would wait here. When the moment was right, he'd deliver the killing blow.
No bystanders had dared approach. The commotion made it obvious that CCG investigators were likely fighting a ghoul. Getting close would be suicidal.
Yamori's bestial howls had frightened everyone in the vicinity into keeping their distance.
Before long, Yamori was utterly exhausted—mostly because his own thrashing had depleted his stamina.
The continuous burning left him on death's door, his body a horrific sight as he collapsed face-down.
The torment seemed to trigger memories of his past torture at Tokage's hands. Tears streamed from his eyes as he mumbled deliriously, "Mo... mom... don't... leave me alone..."