Rumors

After watching Akira Mado return to class, Huiqi turned and left. He needed to hurry to Ward 20 to handle matters at the branch. His days were always spent rushing from one task to another.

"Special Class Investigator Huiqi, about your Quinque dagger..."

"Send it back to the lab. As for that ghoul's kagune, just make it into any old Quinque. I'll give it away as a gift later."

Huiqi gave his instructions to the logistics staff over the phone. An A-rate junk quinque was of no use to him, so he might as well give it away as a gift.

"No problem."

Click...

After hanging up, Huiqi found someone unexpected standing before him.

Confusion crossed Huiqi's face. The CCG's Special Class Investigators were strategic assets who rarely went on missions; most of their time was spent safeguarding their branches. "Shinohara? Aren't you supposed to be looking after your branch? What brings you to Ward 5?"

"Oh, Special Class Investigator Huiqi, you're here too. How's life been treating you? I'm here to bring in a kid."

Yukinori Shinohara pointed to a childlike figure beside him.

Following his finger, Huiqi couldn't help raising an eyebrow. He carefully studied the androgynous child. Not only was it impossible to tell the boy's gender from his appearance, but fine stitches covered his face and arms.

"Where'd you pick up this delinquent? He looks seriously bizarre."

There was a teasing edge to Huiqi's voice. At first glance, the kid looked like trouble through and through. He had no tattoos, but the visual impact was even stronger than if he did.

"Come on, he's not a delinquent... I found him when I was clearing out the ghoul BigMan. He's a human child, but he hasn't had any education, so I brought him to CCG Academy for some training."

"That's just like you. But do you really think you can reform this thing?"

Huiqi remained skeptical.

"Hello! I'm Juuzou Suzuya!"

"...I'm Huiqi."

Huiqi fell silent. He truly hadn't expected a kid who looked like such a troublemaker to take the initiative and greet him.

"Hahahaha! As long as we don't give up, every child has a chance to be saved!"

Shinohara couldn't help laughing at the sight, his voice full of pride.

"That's your code to live by. In that case, all I can do is wish you luck."

"With the Executioner's blessing, I'm sure to succeed. Come on, Juuzou Suzuya, I'll take you to your classroom!"

As the two figures receded into the distance, Huiqi also left the academy in Ward 5.

"Akira Mado, how do you know the Executioner? He's so cool!"

"Huh? Why is the runner-up so interested?"

Inside the classroom, Akira Mado stared speechlessly at the person before her.

"Why wouldn't I be? He's incredibly strong! Even my idol Houji got utterly crushed by him. Man..."

"Hmm? Associate Special Class Ghoul Investigator Houji Kousuke? If they're both at Special Class level, how did he lose?" (His promotion to Special Class was only a matter of merit; Houji Kousuke himself already had Special Class strength.)

Seidou Takizawa's words left Akira Mado with a huge question mark hanging over her head.

Seidou Takizawa put on a mysterious expression, unconsciously lowering his voice as he spoke. "Heh, that's my secret. Trade me yours, and I'll consider telling you."

Akira Mado's curiosity stirred. After some hesitation, she still wanted to know how strong the Executioner was. After all, her father had once said something himself.

The Executioner's arrival meant death was coming for the ghouls.

Those words had been proven at their very first meeting. In a fleeting instant, a single throwing knife had killed an A-rate ghoul. That alone was enough to demonstrate Huiqi's formidable strength.

"Fine, then... This is how I met him..."

The two whispered in a corner. After hearing Akira Mado's story, Seidou Takizawa couldn't help looking envious.

"I'm so jealous that your dad's a Ghoul Investigator. If only I could get to know him."

"Maybe. I don't think he'd want to get to know a weakling, though."

Akira Mado's words were vicious. The instant she said them, Seidou Takizawa's face turned greener and greener. "I'm not going to argue with you. Now listen closely..."

"There are three tiers of Special Class Investigators. Outsiders don't think they exist, but everyone on the inside knows. The most obvious examples are Kishou Arima and Huiqi. They represent the pinnacle of the CCG's strength..."

After saying this, Seidou Takizawa adopted a look that practically begged her to thank him.

Three seconds later... Akira Mado was still waiting for Seidou Takizawa to continue, but he showed no sign of speaking.

"And? That's it?" Akira Mado gave Seidou Takizawa a strange look. This was common knowledge. Even outsiders knew about the CCG's two undisputed strongest fighters.

"That's it. Getting this information took a lot of work, you know..."

"You'd better just stay in second place for the rest of your life. I honestly can't believe you."

Leaving him with that remark, Akira Mado returned to her seat, utterly speechless. She should never have agreed to waste her time and information on Seidou Takizawa.

"Hey! Hey! Why aren't you thanking me for telling you? Outsiders can't find this stuff out!"

Seidou Takizawa called anxiously after her. Anger crept onto his face, as though her refusal to appreciate his information had left him fuming.

"Just shut up. I'll never understand how a runner-up thinks. I thought you had some special insider scoop. Tch..."

By the end, Akira Mado was looking at him as though he were garbage, her brows drawing slightly inward. Her eyes seemed to be fixed on something utterly beyond saving.

"Huh? You're talking like you know something else..."

Seidou Takizawa still wanted to argue, unwilling to concede, but Akira Mado had no desire whatsoever to answer him. All she could think about now was the next time she would meet Huiqi.

Executioner... could you kill Owl?

"Why are you asking me that?"

Huiqi looked at Kureo Mado in confusion. Something had seemed off from the moment they met up. The man kept asking how his strength compared with Owl's.

"Nothing. I just want to know exactly how strong you are."

"I probably could? I've never fought him."

Huiqi shook his head, indicating that he wasn't certain. He had originally planned to make his move, but at the critical moment, the kakuja at home had vanished.

"I see... I'll leave my daughter in your care, then, if anything happens to me."

"In my care... What are you up to? The CCG hasn't had any major extermination operations lately."

At that, Kureo Mado's eyes shifted. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a family photo, and studied it closely. "I'll die out there. I'm afraid I won't get to see what Akira Mado grows up to be."

"Die out there? Because of that intuition of yours? Don't take it so seriously."

Huiqi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Although Kureo Mado's intuition could sometimes be incredibly accurate, this was the first time he'd seen him foretell his own death.

"I'm serious... Just like that old man, I'll die at a ghoul's hands."

"Him? He brought it on himself. Instead of carrying out a straightforward execution, he went and tortured the ghoul, then got killed by it. What could anyone do about that?"

Huiqi shrugged after hearing Kureo Mado's words. His meaning was clear: as long as you didn't go looking for death, you wouldn't die. Besides, Kureo Mado was partnered with him.

"Hehehehe... You have quite a sense of humor. Let's stop by the Aquarium in a bit. Apparently, there were signs of ghoul activity there about a month ago."

The first season has officially begun. At this point in the timeline, Rise has arrived in Ward 20.