Chapter 62: The Masked Man
"Co to think of it," Oomori sneered, "I've never had the chance to torture a mother and daughter together... Sounds like it'll be fun."
His twisted grin widened as he made his vile intentions clear.
Oomori didn't bother with deception — he was fully confident in his strength. If they tried to run, he'd drag them back by force.
"Don't hurt my daughter..."
Ryoko Fueguchi stepped forward, her face pale but determined.
Despite her fear, she couldn't let anything happen to Hinami.
Before she could act, Touka raised a hand to stop her.
"Ryoko, take Hinami and go. Now."
Touka's eyes remained locked on Oomori.
She knew this man wasn't an ordinary ghoul — his presence alone was overwhelming.
But Touka was strong enough to at least buy ti. If she could slow Oomori down, Ryoko and Hinami would have a chance to escape.
"Go!" Touka urged again.
After a brief hesitation, Ryoko grabbed Hinami's hand and turned to run.
"Oh? Trying to run?"
Oomori scoffed and bolted forward with alarming speed.
Touka reacted instantly, releasing her kagune.
A crimson, wing-like appendage flared out from her left shoulder — her ukaku glead red with hints of purple, resembling flickering flas.
Normally, Touka's kagune would form symtrical wings, but her right side remained incomplete.
Weakened from surviving on rotting human flesh from Anteiku's corpse supply, Touka's RC cell levels had dropped significantly. Without fresh at, her strength had steadily declined, just like Yoshimura's.
Despite her weakened state, Touka fired a barrage of feathered projectiles from her kagune.
The sharpened, crimson shards shot toward Oomori like a hailstorm.
But Oomori barely flinched.
Smirking in contempt, he released his own kagune — a bulky, scale-like bikaku — and effortlessly swatted aside Touka's attack.
Though bikaku kagune were generally considered the weakest defensively, Oomori's RC cell density fortified his scales to withstand her projectiles with ease.
Before Touka could react, Oomori closed the distance in a flash. His fist shot out like a hamr, slamming into her ribs and launching her across the alley.
Touka crashed hard, landing dangerously close to Ryoko and Hinami.
"Touka!"
Ryoko instinctively let go of Hinami and ran to help her.
"Ryoko, just go!" Touka coughed, forcing herself to stand.
The brief exchange had already made one thing clear — Oomori's strength was overwhelming.
"Don't get your hopes up," Oomori sneered darkly.
Before Touka could regain her footing, Oomori rushed in again.
His fist slamd into her chest, forcing her back several steps. Even with her kagune shielding her, the blow rattled her entire body.
Oomori turned his focus to Ryoko and Hinami.
Hinami froze in place, trembling as the towering ghoul closed in.
Ryoko stepped in front of her daughter, releasing her own kagune — a large, moth-wing-like ukaku that flared outward in a protective stance.
Her crimson kakugan glead in her eyes, turning her once timid expression into one of fierce determination.
But Ryoko knew the truth — she stood no chance.
Oomori's scaled bikaku lashed out, piercing through Ryoko's kagune with brutal ease. The wing-like defense shattered on impact, crumbling like brittle glass.
"Swish—"
Blood splattered across the pavent as Oomori's strike tore into Ryoko's side, sending her to the ground.
"M-Mom!" Hinami's voice broke as she cried out.
Oomori grinned wickedly and reached for the terrified girl.
But just as his claws stretched toward her...
"Thud!"
Sothing struck Oomori's back — a blade. It barely scratched his skin, leaving only a shallow mark.
"Clang."
The dagger clattered to the pavent — ordinary steel, nothing more than a cheap street weapon.
Annoyed, Oomori turned to see who had dared to interfere.
That's when he noticed the masked figure standing behind him.
The figure wore an orange, spiral-patterned mask — identical to the one Tobi had worn during his ti in Akatsuki. A single eyehole revealed a red, glowing eye behind it.
"You..." Oomori began.
Before he could finish, a powerful fist crashed into his face.
"CRACK!"
The punch shattered the bridge of Oomori's nose.
Ryoma felt his knuckles ache from the impact — this guy's bones were ridiculously tough.
With no Quinque on hand, Ryoma had been forced to grab a simple dagger from a nearby alley. But the weapon was useless.
Even if he had his Quinque, Ryoma had chosen not to use it — if CCG investigators like Kureo Mado or Koutarou Amon were nearby, using his signature weapon could expose his identity.
Instead, Ryoma relied on his enhanced strength — the mask boosted his physical abilities by 10% — and his own raw fighting skills.
For a mont, both Touka and Ryoko stared in shock at the masked figure.
The sudden appearance of a ghoul in a mask was startling — most ghouls wore masks in combat to avoid being identified by the CCG.
But for Hinami... sothing clicked.
Her eyes drifted to the masked figure's clothes.
The style... the fit...
It was exactly the sa as the man she had seen in Anteiku.
"...Is that...?" Hinami's voice trembled.
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