While Jason and Hayato dealt with the initial guards that stormed into the room.
Hayato's eyes wandered to Hanami, unconscious in the torture chair.
"What to do with you, hmm," Hayato pondered silently.
His thoughts were interrupted by Jason's roar.
"Hayato!"
Returning his focus to the battle, they finally subdued the soldiers who had invaded.
"I'll dispose of the girl. We can't take her. It would just be a burden," Hayato suggested, ignoring Jason as he approached Hanami.
However, his plans were thwarted when, in an instant, Jason stood in his way, blocking his path.
"She's mine, my toy. I'll devour her," Jason declared, a disturbing amount of saliva escaping his mouth.
Hayato rolled his eyes. "How would you take her? You'd have to carry her... It would hinder our fight. Idiot."
Disregarding Hayato's words, Jason moved towards Hanami.
Looking at what he considered his toy, one he hadn't had enough time to torment,
Hayato sighed.
"Is this idiot really going to take her? Perhaps this temporary alliance was a bad choice. He'll get us killed," Hayato reflected as he witnessed the distressing scene.
However, the next turn of events surprised everyone.
Jason opened his mouth and lunged to bite Hanami's neck, devouring the flesh he craved so much.
"Enough," said Jason as he turned his attention back to Hayato.
Soon, both of them left the room.
*
Some time had passed since Jason and Hayato left the torture room.
On their way, they encountered some mid to high-level soldiers and investigators, but were swiftly taken down by the two ghouls.
A deadlock arose between them: where would be the safest place to escape? The entire building was likely surrounded by various types of enemies now.
Hayato suggested a few ideas, including the proposal to escape by jumping across rooftops, which seemed to be the best option. The streets were teeming with foes, but on the rooftops, they could evade their pursuers. Dodging helicopters didn't seem too challenging.
Jason, unable to make clear decisions, simply agreed to Hayato's suggestion. Amidst his mentally unstable state, he let the other ghoul take the lead.
*
[POV after the owl's escape]
Yukinori Shinohara descended the stairs of the building, aware of the unfolding events as he advanced. As his footsteps echoed through the hallway, the reality of what had occurred became clear: the owl had escaped, and his companions, upon realizing the main target's getaway, decided to retreat.
He, on the other hand, didn't share the same decision. His principles prioritized the safety and well-being of fellow investigators. His commitment was to protect the most vulnerable, compelling him to persist even after the target's escape.
As he proceeded, he heard ominous noises emanating from a nearby room. Without hesitation, he advanced and opened the door to the floor. What he saw made him freeze for a moment: two ghouls were brutally tearing apart mid-level investigators.
The sound of screams blended with the savagery of the attack. Yukinori took in the gruesome scene, his heart constricted by the sight of carnage before him. His mind immediately adjusted to the urgency of the situation, preparing to act.
Without a pause to think, he assumed a combat stance. His eyes didn't betray surprise but rather an unwavering determination. He was ready to confront the ghouls and protect the investigators under attack.
*
[Main Pov]
He and Jason were massacring another batch of investigators they found on their way to the top of the building.
After decimating the last investigator remaining, Hayato felt a chill down his spine.
Jason felt the same, maybe even faster.
"You," Yukinori said with a dry voice.
When Hayato finally looked towards the source of the voice, for the first time, he felt fear.
Looking at the quinque in his hand, and how it was entirely covered by that armor. Yes, he felt fear because he recognized the investigator in his phrase. Yukinori Shinohara.
"Jason."
Just as Hayato was about to warn Jason, all he saw was a blur passing through his vision.
The maniac ghoul was indeed heading towards one of the strongest investigators in Japan.
The distance closed in seconds.
SLASH
When Hayato blinked, all that could be seen was Jason's decapitated body, his head flying.
"What an idiot," Hayato chuckled and moved towards the investigator.
He wasn't an idiot, but what else could he do, run? Impossible.
Soon, an intense fight began.
Hayato's plan was to wear down the man in front of him.
His attacks were defended one after the other, as if every move by Hayato was nothing in front of Yukinori.
After studying Hayato's initial moves, Yukinori was no longer concerned about the ghoul. His fear was that this monster in front of him had an ace up his sleeve. But it seemed not.
The simple reason he hadn't decapitated Hayato at the beginning was that the ghoul was truly aware, unlike his counterpart who was now headless on the ground nearby.
And Hayato knew that, he knew the human in front of him was just playing defense.
"Here it comes," Hayato thought when Yukinori's first attack finally came.
Observing the quinque that looked more like a butcher's cleaver headed towards his neck, Hayato did what anyone would do. He directed all his kagune towards his face to defend against the strike.
"Or..."
It was too late, changing the trajectory of his attack, Yukinori delivered a straight cut to Hayato's torso.
Liters of blood spurted into Yukinori's armor and his face, which he casually wiped off.
"It's done," Yukinori murmured.
Those were the words echoing in Hayato's mind as he lay on the ground, a pool of blood forming beneath him.
"Is it done?" Hayato thought, a wave of despair flooding his thoughts. The sense of desolation overwhelmed him. In that building filled with ruthless ghouls and ineffective investigators, the irony was too cruel to ignore.
Amidst the despair, something stirred within Hayato. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if every RC cell was igniting in a final attempt at survival. It was as if his own nature was reacting, clamoring for one last chance.
The RC cells boiled within him, unbridled energy burning every fiber of his being. The tremor in his body was visible, the muscles contorting as an unknown force impelled him towards a drastic transformation.
With a wrenching snap, his torso split open in a terrible gash, a wound that should have meant the end. However, what followed was extraordinary. The RC cells acted as if they had a life of their own, moving in a desperate frenzy to save him.
The wound in his chest began to heal before his very eyes. A pulsating energy radiated from his body, a vital synergy that seemed to defy the laws of nature. The wound slowly began to close, the flesh mending in a process that seemed almost miraculous.
While the wound closed, a metamorphosis took hold of Hayato. The tremor in his body gave way to an overwhelming force, and his kakuja form emerged. The kagunes, once agile and flexible, were now shrouded in a black armor, massive protection emanating an intimidating energy. This dark aura radiated a sense of imminent danger, as if each part of this new form was a silent warning of an uncontrollable power.
"So, you're a cannibal too, I couldn't have imagined worse."
Seeing the ghoul transform in front of him, he didn't wait long to act. Thrusting his quinque towards the fallen ghoul.
FLASH
With a quick and precise movement, Hayato dodged the investigator's attack, leaving only a flash of his presence. Yukinori, surprised by the ghoul's agility, barely had time to react.
Cutting wind bursts could be heard echoing through the building floor, indicating the fierce battle that unfolded. As Hayato moved with impressive speed, a madness aura took hold of him.
His body burned with overwhelming intensity. The RC cells seemed to disintegrate, as if the organ that stored them was sucking his life in exchange for uncontrollable power, like a growing cancer.
Running in circles around the investigator, his mind was consumed by a ravenous hunger. Fear and danger vanished, replaced solely by an insatiable craving for flesh.
"Ha ha!"
Advancing toward the investigator, his kagunes, now like black armors, swayed in the air. On the other side, Yukinori, the investigator, prepared for the ghoul's attack, remaining calm.
Hayato's punch struck Yukinori's quinque with tremendous force. In an instant, the investigator's hand was crushed by the impact, forcing him to steady himself to resist the blow.
But before he could react, Hayato's kakuja was used as a surprise attack, hitting Yukinori's armor with devastating force.
The impact of Hayato's kakuja blow against Yukinori's armor was overwhelming. The force of the attack sent the investigator reeling, his defense severely tested by the ghoul's ferocity.
Yukinori, still recovering from the initial blow, felt the power of Hayato's kakuja, which seemed to defy all expectations. The armor resisted, but showed signs of cracking, revealing the intensity of the blow.
With impressive speed, Hayato charged again, his erratic and reckless movements making it difficult for Yukinori to predict his attacks. The ghoul seemed to have completely surrendered to its madness, a voracious predator in search of its prey.
The battle became a whirlwind of blows and defenses, with Hayato acting almost insanely, while Yukinori, even wounded, tried to maintain his defensive posture.
However, Hayato, immersed in the voracity of his kakuja, didn't seem to feel any pain or fatigue. His determination was fueled by the desire to devour his opponent, longing to consume not only his flesh, but also his essence.
Yukinori, even with his experience and skill, began to realize that facing this ghoul in that state was an almost impossible task.
Despite Yukinori's tireless efforts to defend himself, Hayato's madness and uncontrolled rage became overwhelming. Each of the ghoul's blows was like a bolt of unbridled lightning, defying any attempt at resistance.
Hayato, immersed in a frenzy, launched himself with wild force toward the investigator. Yukinori, struggling to maintain his stance, found himself at the mercy of the unpredictability and fierceness of the ghoul.
In a swift and lethal movement, Hayato channeled all his power into a precise attack. His kagunes, like sharp spears, found the precise target, piercing the investigator's head. Silence dominated the hallway, once echoing with the chaos of battle.
Yukinori's eyes lost the sparkle of life, fixed on emptiness as his final thoughts echoed in his mind. "Juuzo," a final, solemn memory lingered in his thoughts before darkness enveloped him completely.