Half-human

"Okay."

Amahane Byakuya nodded and took the Quinque from the combat instructor.

It was a white dagger with an unusual feel in his hand, and it was noticeably heavier than an ordinary dagger.

After all, the materials used to make a Quinque were anything but ordinary. Besides a ghoul's kagune and kakuhou, they also included materials such as the shape-memory metal known as quinque steel.

[Ding! Host has used a Quinque for the first time. Reward obtained: 1 fusion point!]

The combat instructor had not specified how to use the dagger, so Amahane Byakuya approached it according to his own understanding of combat.

His first thought was naturally to use it like a kunai, either for close combat or for throwing at a distance.

In particular, Amahane Byakuya had integrated Madara Uchiha's Taijutsu, which also included Madara Uchiha's skill with kunai.

Amahane Byakuya treated the "Hiruko 1/76" as a kunai and hurled it straight at a large rock in the distance ahead.

Having inherited Madara's abilities, throwing a dagger was a breeze for him.

Not only was his form textbook-perfect, but his throw was also exceptionally accurate.

It struck the distant rock dead-on.

Since Quinques were made from kagune, they naturally possessed comparable power and hardness.

Combined with Amahane Byakuya's immense strength, the strike shattered the rock outright. Its power looked even more frightening than an ordinary bullet's.

And that was indeed the case. Ordinary bullets were of little use against ghouls, but Quinques could actually injure them.

At the sight, the combat instructor raised his eyebrows.

Nearly all the other students nearby were stunned as well.

Kurona Yasuhisa could not help clicking her tongue softly. Judging by Amahane Byakuya's performance, he was going to outshine her and Nashiro again today.

"Kurona, he's really impressive. He managed that on his very first time using a Quinque."

Nashiro Yasuhisa spoke quietly to Kurona Yasuhisa, her face expressionless.

"I have to admit he's strong in this area, but these aren't the only things that decide the final rankings."

Kurona Yasuhisa spoke flatly.

"This isn't your first time using a dagger, is it?"

The combat instructor asked Amahane Byakuya, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice.

"That's right. I've practiced with similar weapons before."

Amahane Byakuya nodded.

He had inherited Madara Uchiha's relevant abilities, so anything Madara Uchiha had practiced was effectively something he had practiced as well.

Otherwise, he would have struggled to explain why his form was so precise. Talent alone could not account for something like that.

"Excellent. Your talent really is outstanding."

The combat instructor immediately praised him.

Even if Amahane Byakuya had trained with similar weapons, a Quinque was still different from an ordinary weapon.

First of all, the difference in weight was significant. No matter how experienced someone was, they would still need time to adjust when first using a new weapon with a different weight and feel.

For Amahane Byakuya to perform so flawlessly on his first try with a Quinque, he was undoubtedly a true genius.

After that, the combat instructor mainly had the students practice throwing the daggers, with swings at the air or wooden posts as secondary exercises.

Sparring between students was skipped. Quinques were far too dangerous, and using them in practice bouts could easily injure their classmates, especially when these students were still unfamiliar with handling them.

Naturally, Amahane Byakuya performed the best out of all the students, both in close combat and in throwing at a distance, thanks to the abilities he had gained from Madara Uchiha.

As class was nearing its end, Amahane Byakuya took the opportunity to ask the combat instructor, "Instructor, can I take this Quinque with me? The Hiruko 1/76 feels really comfortable to use, and I like it a lot."

His goal was simply to get his hands on a Quinque.

The combat instructor scratched his head. "That's against the rules. You're only allowed to use them for training during class. Outside of that, students generally aren't allowed to possess Quinques."

"All right."

Amahane Byakuya was not surprised. He had only asked to see whether there was a chance.

After all, even among official Ghoul Investigators already employed by the CCG, not everyone was qualified to use a Quinque.

Seeing how much Amahane Byakuya seemed to want a Quinque, the combat instructor, who already thought highly of him, gave it some serious thought. "It's not entirely impossible. Students can temporarily have a Quinque during their field training, but field training is fairly dangerous. We generally don't recommend that first-year students take part."

"Field training? Does that mean going out to fight ghouls?"

Amahane Byakuya followed up with a question.

"That's right. Every student has to complete field training before graduating, but you'll have a very capable Ghoul Investigator leading you, so there's no need to be too afraid."

The combat instructor explained.

"I'm still a new student. Can I start my field training early?"

Amahane Byakuya continued asking.

If he could, then starting field training as soon as possible would certainly be best. That would also let him join the CCG sooner.

"You can. The two-year program doesn't necessarily mean you have to study for two full years. If you're genuinely capable of fighting ghouls, you can become a full-fledged Ghoul Investigator right away, so the rules for field training are fairly flexible too."

The combat instructor also went off on a slight tangent. "There are some geniuses in the CCG who never trained at the Academy at all. Some of them are so strong they hardly seem human..."

"I understand."

Amahane Byakuya nodded without saying anything more.

But as soon as he heard that, he knew the combat instructor was probably talking about the half-humans from the White Day Garden.

Half-humans had physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary humans. Someone as powerful as Kishou Arima was practically invincible, but the price was a lifespan only half, or even about a third, that of a normal human.

However, the humans within the CCG did not know those geniuses were actually half-humans.

"If possible, I'd like to start my field training early."

Amahane Byakuya immediately made his position clear to the combat instructor.

The combat instructor's expression grew a little more serious. "As long as you've thought it through, that's fine. There happens to be a batch of field training slots opening soon. If I remember correctly, the assignment should be to accompany Special Class Investigator Arima to the 24th Ward."

"Special Class Investigator Arima?"

Amahane Byakuya was a little surprised. Was he really going to meet Kishou Arima so soon?

The combat instructor nodded, admiration appearing in his eyes. "That's right. Kishou Arima, the man known as the White Reaper and the Invincible Ghoul Investigator. Going on field training with him will be much safer, too."