The Owl Retreats

After Byakuya evaded Yoshimura's "spear" kagune attack, he moved forward once more to strike at the kakuhou of the Owl.

Although wielding a katana and a rapier, his technique could be described as dual-wielding. Byakuya's mastery of dual blades had become increasingly refined.

As his attacks intensified, there was a moment when Yoshimura let his guard down. In that instant, Byakuya's blade struck the kakuhou on the Yoshimura's right arm once again.

This time, the regeneration rate couldn't keep up. The entire kagune arm on the right side, including the kakuhou, was severed and fell to the ground.

"An arm! Investigator Byakuya actually severed one of the One-Eyed Owl's arms!"

A stunned investigator observing from the rear exclaimed in disbelief.

The investigators present were collectively shocked. Not only could Byakuya hold his own against the 'One-Eyed Owl' but he had even managed to sever its arm!

If this pace continued, there was a chance that Byakuya could actually defeat the "One-Eyed Owl".

Witnessing the scene, Kasuka's eyes sparkled with excitement. She could clearly sense that Byakuya was much stronger now than he had been during their encounter in the 24th Ward.

It was hard to imagine how this improvement was possible in less than half a month. Could it be that, during their previous fight against the 'One-Eyed Owl' Byakuya had been holding back his true strength?

This seemed very likely…

Especially considering that the quinque Byakuya was currently using was only A rated. His potential was far from its limit.

When Byakuya eventually wielded higher-rated quinques, his power would likely reach unimaginable levels!

"To think we're both First-Class Investigators, I feel unworthy of the title..." muttered Shinohara, humbled by the comparison.

"I told you, Byakuya is on a whole different level. His abilities surpass those of a First-Class Investigator, so there's no need to compare yourself to him" said Kureo, trying to console him.

To be fair, Shinohara was already among the best of the First-Class Investigators. Before Byakuya appeared, he and Kuroiwa were considered the most promising First-Class Investigators within the CCG.

But Byakuya's emergence was simply too overwhelming, making even the brightest stars pale in comparison.

"You're right, but I realize now that I need to work even harder!" Shinohara said with determination, transforming his frustration into motivation.

...

After severing one of Yoshimura's arms, Byakuya temporarily paused.

It seemed like he was resting, but in truth, he was giving Yoshimura a chance to retreat.

Byakuya held deep respect for the Anteiku manager, and had no desire to harm him unless absolutely necessary.

However, the Owl showed no intention of retreating and attacked again with its remaining kagune arm. Yoshimura felt the disruption he had caused wasn't enough to achieve his objectives.

"…"

Unable to communicate with Yoshimura, Byakuya sighed inwardly.

It seemed he had no choice but to sever the remaining kagune arm to force Yoshimura to retreat.

Uchiha Byakuya moved again.

Yoshimura's speed was incredible — despairingly fast for most investigators. But against the mangekyo sharingan's superior insight, his movements were rendered ineffective.

Though Yoshimura moved quickly, he couldn't land a single hit on Byakuya.

From the perspective of the investigators observing, the speed of the battle was dizzying, and they were astonished that Byakuya remained completely unharmed.

After a blur of flashing blades,Byakuya severed the Owl's remaining kagune arm.

Having lost both of his kagune arms, Yoshimura's combat power was severely diminished, leaving him no choice but to retreat.

The severed kakuhous couldn't regenerate quickly enough, requiring time to recover.

The Owl leaped suddenly, landing on the wall of a nearby building. Despite its massive size, it moved swiftly along the wall before taking flight with the agility granted by its ukaku kagune. In moments, the Owl had fled.

...

[Ding! The host has successfully completed "Quest 1: During the third attack on the 2nd Ward CCG, repel the Non-Killing Owl". Reward: 100 Attribute Points!]

[Quest 1 complete. Activating Quest 2.]

[Quest 2: Reconcile father and daughter. Mediate the strained relationship between Kuzen Yoshimura and Eto Yoshimura.]

[Reward: 100 Attribute Points.]

Byakuya didn't pursue the Owl. From the start, his goal had been to force Yoshimura to retreat.

Even if he had wanted to chase him, Byakuya's current physical capabilities — around three times that of an average human — wouldn't have been enough. Only the use of Kamui would have enabled him to close the gap.

But there was no need. His goal was already achieved, and he saw no point in wasting RC cells or sharingan power on pursuit.

"Did the 'One-Eyed Owl' actually retreat? Does that mean we've won?"

The investigators were overjoyed.

As they approached Byakuya to check on him, they found no injuries—only some damaged clothing.

It was unbelievable.

Previously, Kuroiwa had only managed to repel the "One-Eyed Owl" with heavy reinforcements and suffered severe injuries himself.

Yet Byakuya had faced the "Owl" alone, severed both kagune arms, forced it to retreat, and remained entirely unharmed.

This miraculous performance was almost beyond belief.

"Investigator Byakuya, excellent work" Kasuka said in a voice full of admiration.

She quickly relayed the results to the CCG's 1st Ward headquarters:

"The operation was a success. The 'One-Eyed Owl' has been repelled, thanks solely to Investigator Uchiha Byakuya"