[Ding! The host has defeated the SS rated ghoul "Uta" and received 40 attribute points!]
Yomo initially assumed the black-clad investigator would take advantage of Uta's loss of reason and use him as a distraction.
To his surprise, the investigator dealt with Uta first.
It seemed the investigator did not take Yomo's strength seriously at all...
At this moment, Yomo pushed himself to his limits. He couldn't leave Uta behind, nor did he want Uta to die here.
When fighting at full strength, Yomo's combat ability was on par with a half-kakuja Uta, thanks to his lightning-based kagune, which compensated for the inherent disadvantage against a half-kakuja.
Still, this only underscored how outmatched he was against Byakuya.
It didn't take long before Yomo's kakuhou was severely damaged.
However, Byakuya deliberately held back, avoiding inflicting fatal damage on Yomo's kakuhou.
For a ghoul with only one kakuhou, severe enough damage renders it incapable of regeneration, leaving death as the only outcome.
[Ding! The host has defeated the SS rated ghoul "Renji Yomo" and received 40 attribute points!]
At this point in the story, both Uta and Yomo were still young and had not reached SS+.
Their peak would come roughly three years later, after being taken in by Yoshimura to Anteiku. After settling there and consuming only spoiled food, Yomo's strength stagnated.
Throughout the fight, Byakuya's quinque Owl remained intact — a testament to its unmatched durability.
He prepared to feign delivering the final blow to Yomo.
Although Yomo lay prone and barely able to move, he raised his head, glaring fiercely at Byakuya without fear of death.
"Nice spirit" Byakuya remarked indifferently.
He raised the quinque for the finishing strike.
At that critical moment, a massive crash erupted above as the ceiling of the abandoned church caved in.
Boom!
A gigantic figure descended amidst the rubble and dust, hurtling toward Byakuya.
Byakuya calmly retreated a few steps, avoiding the ambush.
The figure was none other than SSS rated ghoul Owl.
But it wasn't the Non-Killing Owl — it was the One-Eyed Owl.
"It's here. Hehe~"
The Owl let out a bizarre, gleeful laugh and launched a barrage of ukaku shards at Byakuya.
Byakuya dodged effortlessly, his expression calm and unsurprised.
After all, she was there at his invitation. He had arranged for Eto to help stage this scene.
Taking advantage of Byakuya's evasive maneuver, the Owl grabbed Yomo and the critically wounded Uta in one swift motion.
Yomo, already gravely injured, groaned in pain under the Owl's rough grip. Uta, barely clinging to life, made no sound.
Eto quickly fled the scene with the two, disappearing into the night.
"Could've been gentler..." Byakuya muttered softly to himself, not giving chase.
Meanwhile, any ghoul daring to face Arima was effortlessly dispatched.
With the loss of their two leaders, the ghouls were utterly defenseless before Arima.
Even if Uta and Yomo were at their best, Arima could have single-handedly decimated the entire group.
Realizing the overwhelming strength of both the black-clad investigator and the white-clad Arima, the remaining ghouls lost their nerve.
If even Uta and Yomo stood no chance, what hope did they have?
Most fled, though a few were too slow or hesitant.
Byakuya, unwilling to overdo his act, gave them ample time to escape. Still, he and Arima needed captives to report back.
"Apologies" Byakuya said, his words sounding cryptic to the remaining ghouls.
Those who failed to flee fast enough were sent to Cochlea.
[Ding! The host has defeated an A+ rated ghoul, earning 8 attribute points!]
[Ding! The host has defeated a B rated ghoul, earning 3 attribute points!]
[...]
In the end, Byakuya and Arima captured numerous members of Clown.
Including those detained earlier by Inaba Squad, they apprehended over fifty ghouls ranging from B to S ratings.
"Let's head back" Byakuya said.
Returning to the CCG Headquarters in the 1st Ward, the mission was declared a success.
Though the leaders had escaped, the group suffered devastating losses. With their leaders critically injured, and many members captured, the Clowns would remain inactive for some time.
The operation's efficiency also earned commendation.
The CCG confirmed evidence of the One-Eyed Owl's presence, and Byakuya's flawless performance avoided any suspicion.
Arima's efforts earned him a promotion to First Class Investigator, granting him access to S rated quinques.
Within Inaba Squad, Warabe and Koori were promoted to First Class Investigator, while the rest remained Second Class.
As for Byakuya...
He was promoted to Special Class Investigator.
He was assigned to the 4th Ward to continue operations, specifically investigating the One-Eyed Owl and Clowns's leader.
Little did anyone know, the One-Eyed Owl spent every day at Byakuya's house.