The conflict has transcended the ebb and flow of offense and defense, progressing to a critical juncture from which there is no retreat.
With every strike of Lin Yi's sword, a thunderous shockwave reverberates through the air. He has completely acclimated to Rize Kamishiro's aggressive tactics, demonstrating exceptional aptitude in assimilating information from the battlefield and adjusting his approach accordingly. Lin Yi has made a conscious decision to forsake his previous reliance on rapid assaults, redirecting his concentration and power towards maximizing their potential.
Rize Kamishiro is certain that being struck by such a blow would be as devastating as being hit by a high-speed train.
She is convinced that the person before her is just a human, yet his physical abilities surpass those of many ghouls.
He bears a resemblance to someone from her memories.
Kishou Arima!
The man known as the CCG's strongest combat force.
"Boom!"
The battle is far from over, but the explosive spectacle cannot be contained. Amidst the roaring flames, the black sedan finally crumbles and explodes.
The explosion's deafening sound drowns out all other noise, while the flames rise over ten meters, scattering various metal parts.
Unfortunately for Rize Kamishiro, though her reaction is swift, she must focus on evading attacks. She is still hit by the shattered windshield.
Sent flying more than ten meters, she tumbles on the ground, covered in glass shards and bloodstains.
A ten-centimeter-long wound, streaming fresh blood, mars her stunning cheek.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi's figure is instantly engulfed by the flames.
"Hahaha."
Rize Kamishiro laughs recklessly.
As a ghoul, the aftermath of the explosion cannot kill her.
But no matter how formidable Lin Yi is, he remains a mere human.
"Swish!"
Rize Kamishiro's laughter abruptly ceases, frozen in place by an unimaginable sight.
Her gaze falls upon a blade that slices through the flames.
The raging fire encircles Lin Yi, specifically his blood-red kagune. His Jörmungandr, no longer in the form of a longsword, has transformed into a giant serpent-like shape that engulfs him.
Though Jörmungandr has suffered damage, the benefits of devouring Kagune become apparent as it begins to regenerate!
Rize Kamishiro has no time to contemplate the nature of the Quinque. Instead, she turns and flees, moving through the darkness like a phantom. Within moments, she has escaped dozens of meters, the flames behind her diminishing.
But she cannot afford to stop.
Danger is closing in!
Lin Yi's Jörmungandr gradually returns to its longsword form, its radiance significantly dimmed. Bending his body slightly, he 'teleports' away in the next moment.
With his full acceleration, his initial speed rivals that of a top-class sports car.
Rize Kamishiro is already desperate and heavily injured. Her ability to recover quickly has diminished, and she desperately needs to feed.
She rushes into an industrial area, but it is late at night, and the industrial zone lies deserted.
Rize Kamishiro heads straight for a tall industrial building.
Upon Lin Yi's arrival, he finds a forcibly broken door, pitch-black inside, with the alarm blaring incessantly.
He steps into the corridor, unable to see clearly, but he knows Rize Kamishiro is still inside. The two of them remain within tens of meters of each other, with even the slightest sound unable to escape his ears.
"Drip!"
A drop of blood falls onto the floor.
In the next instant, Lin Yi's blade strikes!
"Clang!"
The longsword slices through the wall, revealing Rize Kamishiro's disheveled figure emerging from the darkness. After tumbling a few times, she immediately turns
and flees.
"Could the organization have sent him to kill me?" Rize Kamishiro wonders as she runs.
Lin Yi glances at the blood flowing along the blade of Jörmungandr, but before it can reach the floor, it is fully absorbed.
It appears he has gained a considerable reward from that last strike.
Following closely, Lin Yi reaches the elevator doors. It is pitch-black inside, and Rize Kamishiro has already cut the elevator cables in an attempt to hinder his pursuit.
However, Lin Yi disregards it. He plunges his Quinque into the wall and swiftly climbs up, his speed hardly slower than running on level ground.
"A madman, he's a madman!" Rize Kamishiro exclaims, her fear evident.
Rize Kamishiro stumbles and rushes toward the rooftop, her right hand covering the wound on her shoulder, blood flowing uncontrollably.
His extraordinary physical abilities make her think of the V organization.
The footsteps of death once again resound behind her.
"You're finally not running anymore?" Lin Yi's voice echoes, slightly strained from the intensity of the battle.
Despair and ruthlessness flash in Rize Kamishiro's eyes as she retreats to the edge of the rooftop, fixedly gazing at Lin Yi.
The building stands thirty-three stories high, and with her current injuries, she is unsure if she can survive a fall from it.
"Farewell, Miss Kamishiro," Lin Yi says, his tone devoid of sentimentality.
Lin Yi wastes no time and his figure flickers. Within a breath's span, he closes the distance of over ten meters between them. The blade traces a graceful arc through the air.
Simultaneously, Rize Kamishiro takes two steps back, her hands open, tilting her body as she falls downward.
"Hiss!"
However, Lin Yi has long anticipated Rize Kamishiro's intentions. Jörmungandr in his hand suddenly becomes restless, the blade splitting apart. Countless tendrils extend like tentacles, swiftly entwining one of Rize Kamishiro's arms.
"Bang!"
A gunshot rings out several hundred meters away.
But Lin Yi's time to react is limited. He is forced to halt the action of pulling Rize Kamishiro back. With one hand on the ground, he exerts force, leaping into the air and spinning 180 degrees.
The bullet strikes the floor where he had just stood, producing a shower of sparks.
And in that split second, Rize Kamishiro makes a horrifying move. With a scream, she tears off her own arm.
Her figure disappears into the darkness, and after a while, the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground echoes from below.
Lin Yi stands at the edge of the rooftop, not looking down, but gazing into the distance, towards the direction from which the gunshot had come.
Jörmungandr in his hand writhes around the severed arm, and after a few breaths, it absorbs all the blood.
With just an arm, significant changes occur on his Quinque's body. The patterns on the blade become more prominent, resembling flowing magma, while the hilt is surrounded by a circle of snake-like patterns.
"Did I take too long? This is troublesome. Has he already noticed me...?" Lin Yi mutters to himself and turns away from the rooftop.
When he descends from the rooftop, all he sees is a large pool of blood on the ground, and Rize Kamishiro's figure is nowhere to be found.
—
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