"Now I've changed my mind. I won't just rip you apart and crush you beneath my feet… I'll eat you too!"
Furious at the taunt, Jason trembled all over, the bloodshot veins in his bulging eyes threatening to burst.
From beneath his mask came guttural roars, like those of a beast driven mad.
Crack!
The sharp sound rang out as Jason snapped his own fingers.
Dark red kagune surged up his arm, spreading until half of his body was encased within it.
"So, you're finally using your half-kakuja state, huh?"
Hayashi's eyes flashed with light at the sight.
Back when he had only watched the anime, he'd always thought this form looked ugly, not aesthetically pleasing—
Yet it carried a strange, domineering aura, an oppressive weight.
And besides…
Hayashi's curiosity was burning.
Just what did it feel like to fight against someone in half-kakuja form?
Jason bent his knees, crouching low.
"Yes, exactly like that — squatting like a real gecko."
Yamori = Gecko
Propping himself up on the hilt of his quinque blade, Hayashi looked satisfied.
The next instant, the ground beneath Jason's feet shattered, his figure vanishing.
His speed skyrocketed — completely different from before.
Hayashi quickly drew the long blade from the ground, sweeping it across his body to block.
"Kill you, kill you, kill you…!"
In that instant, Jason's kagune-wrapped fist slammed forward with crushing force.
Boom!
The massive impact sent Hayashi flying backward, smashing into the wall.
The wall cracked, bricks and rubble crashing down, dust and smoke rising in a thick cloud.
"A fragile human body could never withstand my attack."
"The time for children's games is over. Now it's time for the adults to play!"
Jason licked his lips, a crimson light of excitement burning in his eyes.
"I finally found such an interesting toy. Don't die on me too quickly. I want to tear you apart piece by piece, put you back together, and tear you apart again!"
The very thought made Jason clutch his head, his body shaking in exhilaration.
"That line… is something I should be saying to you."
As the dust cleared, Hayashi stepped out without a scratch.
"How… how is this possible? That kind of impact — how could you be unharmed?"
Glancing at the ruined wall and scattered rubble, Jason instinctively staggered back, disbelief etched on his face.
A human surviving such an attack without injury? Impossible.
"Can a human body really be this strong?"
Even Rize, who had been watching from a distance, whispered softly to herself.
"But with a body this powerful… wouldn't the taste be even more exquisite?"
Her delicate face turned wickedly seductive as she licked her crimson lips.
"The strength really is greater than I imagined."
Hayashi touched his neck, rolling it from side to side.
He hadn't even used his full power when blocking that blow.
His goal was simply to test the limits of his body after receiving the Ox Talisman's blessing.
And now he knew — his physical strength far exceeded his expectations.
"Still… useless."
As his words faded, a flash of steel streaked before Jason's eyes.
So fast—he barely had time to react.
Instinctively, he raised his arm to block, kagune coiled around it.
But it was already too late.
Clang!
Steel collided against kagune, the sound of impact splitting the air.
This time, his arm wasn't severed—
Instead, fine cracks spread across Hayashi's quinque blade.
"Your strength is impressive, but with just that weapon, you'll never hurt me!"
Jason's mad laughter echoed, his excitement unrestrained.
"Is that so?"
Hayashi wasn't panicked in the slightest. Instead, his eyes gleamed with interest.
A rank 3 investigator's quinque was indeed fragile compared to expectation.
But…
It was more than enough.
In the next second, Hayashi twisted the blade and swung it upward with force.
Rip!
The kagune covering Jason's arm split open instantly.
The flesh beneath was exposed—
And with another flash of the blade, blood and gore burst forth as his arm was severed entirely.
"How dare you!"
Clutching the stump of his shoulder, Jason stumbled back, crimson pupils trembling in shock.
Now he understood: this "human" couldn't be measured by common sense.
If he didn't go all out, he would die here!
"Weren't you going to tear off my limbs?"
"Funny, since it looks like yours came off first."
Hayashi picked up Jason's severed arm from the ground as though it were nothing more than a toy.
"Kill you, slaughter you, eat you, crush you—DIE!"
The white mask slipped from Jason's face, revealing his twisted, terrifying features.
More and more dark red kagune erupted from his body, wrapping him further, nearly engulfing his entire face.
And then — both of them vanished simultaneously.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The sharp sound of colliding blows rang out again and again, growing louder each time.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, the floor shattering beneath their feet.
"Got you!"
As they clashed once more, Jason's eyes glinted with cruel glee.
A blood-red, barbed kagune burst from his back.
Hayashi raised his blade to block—
But it coiled around him instead.
Smash!
The Quinque flew from his grip, clattering against the floor.
"Without your blade, you're nothing but a fly with its wings torn off."
"Let's see what you can do without it!"
Jason's laughter was wild and crazed, spittle dripping from his mouth.
No matter how strong an Investigator was, without a quinque they were just ordinary humans.
Even this monster in front of him was nothing without his weapon.
This fight was his!
Triumphant joy filled Jason's heart, his victory all but declared.
"Oh, is that so?"
Hayashi chuckled lightly, raising his fist.
BOOM!
With one punch, Jason's hulking body was smashed deep into the ground.
"Im… possible!"
Blood spurted from Jason's mouth, his eyes wide in terror.
That strength—unthinkable.
Could it be that until now, Hayashi had been holding back?
A dreadful thought raced through Jason's mind.
"Let me tell you a little secret…"
Hayashi leaned in close, his cold voice tinged with a faint smile.
"Using the blade was me going easy on you. Playing around."
"If I fought seriously, I could tear you apart in three seconds."
Before Jason could react, another punch fell.
BOOM!
The thunderous impact shook the entire building.
One punch.
Two punches.
Three punches.
Fists rained down like a storm, smashing Jason's massive body bit by bit.
Each blow heavier than the last, until Jason's consciousness began to fade.
Against this monster with terrifying speed, power, and relentless critical strikes—
Jason's spirit was broken.
Never in his entire life had he felt such despair.
Never had he faced such a suffocating difference in strength.
As his mind slipped into darkness, his awareness fading completely, the storm of blows suddenly ceased.
Even so, a ghoul's regeneration was fast.
Even in such extreme conditions, his body began to recover.
"Why… why did you stop?"
As his consciousness returned, Jason gasped heavily, confusion gnawing at him.
"I've got a question for you…"
Hayashi's cold, even voice reached his ears.
"What is 1000 minus 7?"