Experiment

Before Huiqi could recall the figure from his memories, several steel rods shot out of the smoke like arrows.

Huiqi darted aside, dodging them. The dagger in his hand transformed into a long sword, and he swung it in one smooth motion, severing a steel rod in a flash of cold light. More rods came raining down, but he shifted his footing and turned his blade, cutting through several more.

The barrage grew denser. Huiqi's sword traced arcs of light through the air, slicing apart every steel rod around him.

Rize Kamishiro's face twisted viciously. Several rinkaku behind her swept up anything she could use, all to slow the Executioner down. She could not imagine what would happen if he got close. At best, she would be gravely wounded. At worst, her head would likely be cut off on the spot.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Squelch!

Several throwing knives plunged into Rize Kamishiro's body like lightning. One struck her kakuhou, punching a bloody hole through it.

Under Rize Kamishiro's shocked gaze, another volley of throwing knives pinned her rinkaku firmly in place.

During the fight, Rise's powerful ghoul physique allowed her to see the Quinque daggers' trajectories clearly. Yet her body could not react in time, leaving her helpless as the pain struck.

"What should I do with you? Turn your rinkaku into a shortsword, or some other weapon?"

Huiqi walked up to Rize Kamishiro and examined her kagune. At the same time, he took out several daggers and stabbed them into it, one after another, to keep it from breaking free.

"Hey, handsome~ Would you really hurt me...? Let me go, and you can do anything you want..."

"Changing your tune? Who do you think you're fooling?" Huiqi looked at Rize Kamishiro in amusement. Those steel rods had come flying at him with tremendous force. Some were still jutting straight out of the wall behind him. An ordinary person would probably have been skewered like meat on a stick.

After Huiqi interrupted her, Rise fell silent. The seductive expression vanished from her face, and she stared at him with undisguised hatred.

Just as Huiqi was about to end Rise's life, the wail of an ambulance suddenly reached his ears.

"Huiqi, don't! Spare her!"

A familiar voice came from the vehicle, with a nurse following behind its owner.

"Dr. Kanou?" Huiqi turned toward the voice. It was indeed Dr. Kanou, whom he had not seen in days.

"Yes, it's me. Please don't hurt Rise... I need her as experimental material." Akihiro Kano hurried over, his voice pleading.

"Your human experiments still aren't over?"

"No. The previous ghoul specimens weren't suitable. Their Rc kakuhou were too unstable. I need a stable one."

"Hm? So Rise's is stable?"

"Yes. She's a ghoul from the Washuu Clan. Her Rc levels should be fine." Akihiro Kano looked a little guilty as he said this. After all, he had never experimented on anyone from the Washuu Clan. No one knew whether their Rc levels were stable.

"Got it. I'll let you have Rise. Our arrangement stays the same."

"Thank you, thank you."

Dr. Kanou answered excitedly, then took a syringe from his pocket and drove it into Rise's retina. His decisiveness made Huiqi give him a second look.

Just what I'd expect from a researcher. Steady, precise, and ruthless. I'll have him upgrade my equipment later. Huiqi had been working with Dr. Kanou for quite some time. Dr. Kanou upgraded some of his weapons, while Huiqi supplied small quantities of ghoul material.

"There's another one on the roof. I'll go grab them, then we can all leave together."

With that, Huiqi headed for the roof.

At the battle site, Akihiro Kano and the nurse carried Rize Kamishiro and Ken Kaneki into the ambulance to administer emergency treatment. The unconscious Rize Kamishiro was left off to one side.

A minute later.

Huiqi returned to the ambulance with a dark expression, holding a scrap of bloodstained cloth.

"What happened?" Akihiro Kano asked when he saw Huiqi's expression, continuing his emergency treatment.

"Got away. Like a damn cockroach. I'd severed their tendons, and they still managed to run."

"I see... That ghoul might be unusual too, if they could withstand my modified Quinque and still escape..."

Akihiro Kano frowned as he considered the reason. There was no question how lethal his modified Quinque were to ghouls. The fact that a few throwing knives had incapacitated Rize Kamishiro was proof enough.

As they talked, the ambulance arrived at Dr. Kanou's private hospital. Huiqi carried Rize Kamishiro and Ken Kaneki into the laboratory, with the nurse jogging behind him.

After casually tossing Ken Kaneki and Rize Kamishiro onto the operating tables, Huiqi stood aside to watch. Akihiro Kano and the nurse were already busy attaching various instruments to Ken Kaneki's body.

Experiment log 1

Emergency treatment is being administered to the patient. The subject's vital signs are declining rapidly and have reached a critical stage.

Experiment log 2

The patient's vital signs are weakening. Massive internal bleeding in the abdomen. Some internal organs have been destroyed and require replacement.

Experiment log 3

Emergency treatment ineffective... emergency treatment ineffective... attempting electrical shock therapy...

Experiment log 4

Failure... failure... proceeding with organ transplantation...

Experiment log 5

Surgical outcome unknown. The patient's vital signs are gradually returning but remain unstable... human flesh and blood must be administered to increase Rc cells.

Experiment log 6

Failure! Failure! Vital signs unstable. Rc levels excessively high. Suppressive measures are being taken... heart rate accelerating beyond normal human levels.

Experiment log 7

Kakuhou transplantation in progress...

Experiment log 8

Failure... subject unstable. Ghoul traits, including kakugan, have appeared. The body is exhibiting rejection and stress responses.

Experiment log 9

Rejection decreased following injection of an Rc suppressant... subject remains in poor condition and requires continued observation.

Experiment log 10

The subject has been returned to the ward to rest.

Huiqi watched everything unfold like a spectator, with no change in his expression. Still, when he saw the eventual success, he clapped his hands.

"You actually pulled it off... But that makes him a half-ghoul now, doesn't it?"

"Yes... From now on, he'll need human flesh and blood to stay fed."

"Then we might as well kill him. If he starts killing in Ward 20, I'll have to deal with him anyway."

With that, Huiqi took out a dagger and aimed it at the unconscious Ken Kaneki, ready to slit his throat. Akihiro Kano hurriedly grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Not yet! I need Ken Kaneki's data. His condition is much, much more stable than the previous subjects. This is a groundbreaking advance."

"And what does that have to do with me? Keeping him alive is just a liability."

"Wait, wait, wait! Trust me! If you let him live, you'll definitely get a pleasant surprise."

After a moment of silence, Huiqi slipped the dagger back into his coat and fixed Ken Kaneki and Akihiro Kano with a heavy stare.

"It had better be a pleasant surprise, or I'll hang you outside the CCG's front door."

"Yes, yes, of course. As long as you let him live, I'll do anything." Dr. Kanou breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. That sudden turn had truly frightened him. Losing such a precious test subject would have broken his heart.

An artificially created one-eyed ghoul... Then what was her case? Huiqi pried open one of Ken Kaneki's eyes with a hand. Beneath the eyelid was a scarlet kakugan.

Corresponds to season one, episode one.