Due to remaining in a prolonged state of "semi-starvation," Touka Kirishima's physical condition could not remain at its peak.
Even though she was rated S-class, she could only exert fifty to sixty percent of her true strength. Compared to Jason or Rize, the gap was obvious.
At this moment, facing Fushimi Kyo's brutal counterattack, she couldn't dodge in time.
Bang!
A dull impact echoed through the rooftop as Touka's body was blasted backward, skidding more than ten meters before stopping.
Though Kyo hadn't gone all out, his raw strength was terrifying. The moment she took the hit, her body curled inward violently.
A wrenching pain tore through her organs. Cold sweat seeped from her pores in dense beads.
"I told you already," Kyo said coldly, killing intent leaking from his voice.
"I'm not interested in you. Stop throwing yourself at me."
"Otherwise… I really will kill you."
"Damn it…!"
Touka forced herself upright, eyes blazing with fury as she glared at him.
"Don't even think about leaving here until you beat me!"
Kyo snapped back, irritated:
"Are you insane?"
"Is Jason your father or something? You really going this far for him?!"
At the same time, his nose twitched.
The seductive scent of Jason's kagune lingering in the air was fading fast.
At this rate, the opportunity would be gone completely.
"You bastard, stop spouting nonsense!"
Touka's face hardened with righteous resolve.
"I'm stopping you because you're dangerous. If you're left alive, you'll threaten even more ghouls!"
Kyo spat in contempt.
"Oh, you proud of yourself?"
"Think you're doing something noble? Glorious?"
"You idiot. All you're doing is earning more pain and maybe death. Is it worth it?"
"Yes!"
Touka shouted without hesitation.
"If killing you means sacrificing myself then it's worth it!"
That single sentence completely ignited Kyo.
"…Good. Very good."
His smile vanished.
"Then I'll get serious."
He slid Bloodsang back into its sheath.
Lowering his stance, his body compressed like a coiled spring
the unmistakable posture of a draw technique.
Touka's heart clenched.
She hadn't forgotten that exact stance
the same move that had severed Jason's arm earlier.
Her strength was inferior to Jason's.
If she made one mistake here… she would die.
Even now, Touka couldn't fully understand why she was so obsessed with stopping him.
Against CCG investigators, retreat was always her instinct when outmatched.
Only fools fought battles they couldn't win.
But with Fushimi Kyo, something was different.
Anger burned inside her
anger at being deceived,
anger at his unknown, terrifying nature.
She couldn't explain it.
She only knew she had to stop him.
Clang!
Kyo drew in a blur.
"Dragon Cry Flash!"
An invisible shockwave surged forward.
When it struck Touka, it felt as if her organs were being crushed by unseen hands.
Her head swam. Consciousness blurred.
Her legs gave out.
Before she could fall
Whoosh!
Kyo appeared in front of her.
A clean chop struck the artery at her neck.
Thud.
Touka collapsed unconscious.
"Damn it…"
Kyo muttered under his breath.
"If you weren't my classmate if you weren't a decent person
you'd have died eight hundred times by now."
"I'm way too soft on women."
If Touka had heard that, she would've exploded on the spot.
Cursing under his breath, Kyo walked to the edge of the building
and jumped.
With a body now rivaling an S-class ghoul, a fall from dozens of meters meant nothing.
Boom!
He hit the ground, leaving a crater behind, then vanished into streaks of afterimages, chasing Jason's fading trail.
Moments after Kyo left
Another masked figure appeared on the rooftop.
He knelt beside Touka and pinched her philtrum sharply.
She gasped awake.
"…Mr. Yomo?!"
Touka shot upright.
"Where's Fushimi Kyo?! Where did he go?!"
"He's chasing Jason," Renji Yomo replied calmly.
"I have to stop him!"
She tried to stand
"Enough, Touka."
Yomo's voice snapped, sharper than she'd ever heard.
Touka froze.
"You don't need to chase him," Yomo continued.
"Even if you caught up what could you do?"
"…Didn't you notice?"
"He already showed you mercy."
Touka froze.
Only then did she realize
She wasn't injured at all.
He'd knocked her out… and left.
"He knows," she whispered.
"He knows I'm a ghoul…"
Panic surged.
"Mr. Yomo… I messed up. My identity's exposed."
"He didn't remove your mask," Yomo said calmly.
Touka stared blankly.
She couldn't understand him.
"Don't interfere with that boy anymore," Yomo continued.
"And I don't think he's a mindless killer."
"He only hunts ghouls who slaughter humans indiscriminately."
"Those creatures are no different from beasts. They deserve what they get."
Touka looked at him in shock.
"You were watching the whole time?"
"Yes," Yomo replied.
"Ever since you started investigating him."
"I was worried you'd do something reckless."
"I'll report this to the manager and let him decide."
"But until then don't provoke him again."
"…Okay."
Touka nodded reluctantly.
"Let's go. Don't let your friend notice you snuck out."
Yomo vanished into the darkness.
Touka stood alone on the rooftop, staring at the city lights.
"…Fushimi Kyo."
"What kind of person are you… really?"
Elsewhere, on a dim, deserted street
Boom!
Two figures collided and separated.
"Well now, Jason," Kureo Mado said with a grin.
"You're doing pretty well for someone who's supposed to be critically injured."
His gloved right hand tingled slightly.
Jason bared his teeth, breathing heavily.
The hunt… wasn't over yet.
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