Parting instructions

"Hahahahaha..."

Squelch!

The ghoul's unrestrained laughter cut off abruptly.

The tip of a dagger suddenly protruded from his head. His entire body shook violently, and his hands trembled as though an electric current were running through them as he slowly reached toward the top of his head.

"Wh... at..."

As that hoarse question escaped him, the ghoul's eyes began rolling erratically. He lost control of his body, as though he had been infected by a green-banded broodsac parasite.

The ghoul's powerful regenerative ability was only torturing him now. Damage to the brain was extremely difficult to repair, and the slightest mistake could drive him insane. As it stood, the wounded ghoul was no different from a madman.

"What happened? Where did that attack come from? Everyone, stay alert!"

The other ghouls immediately revealed their kagune, scanning their surroundings warily for whoever was hiding in the shadows.

"Are you all right, Wild Horse?"

"Wild Horse? Hehe... who's Wild Horse? I'm Cannibal Horse... hehehe..."

The brain-damaged ghoul answered incoherently. At the same time, the kagune behind him began attacking everything around him indiscriminately. Under his companion's disbelieving gaze, it punched straight through their chest without hesitation.

The crazed ghoul opened his drool-filled mouth the very next second and tore into the corpse of his own kind. The sight rattled everyone around him. The CCG students all retreated dozens of steps, desperate to get away.

"Ghouls?! They eat their own kind, too? What kind of species are they?!"

"What is he doing?! What the hell is he doing?!"

"This is nothing like what our teachers told us... their own kind? Their own kind! How could they eat each other?"

"Damn it! Wild Horse, what are you doing? You bastard!"

"Wild Horse! You killed Greyhound!"

The scene descended into chaos. The ghouls turned on one another, while the students stared in horror at what was unfolding before them.

"The Viper Organization. Your leader is the S-rate ghoul Black Mamba, correct?"

"Who are you?! Are you looking to die?"

"Boss?!"

Hearing someone identify their organization, the two ghouls turned vicious gazes toward the voice, ready to attack. But the sight of the newcomer made them freeze instinctively.

Huiqi appeared before everyone, carrying three severed heads in one hand as he stared coldly at the remaining ghouls.

"I was a little slow. I ran into your reinforcements on the way here and accidentally killed them all."

Those words instantly caught everyone's attention. Even the deranged Wild Horse and the panic-stricken students turned their eyes toward Huiqi.

"Seriously? All by himself?"

"Which Ghoul Investigator is that?"

"Huiqi?! I knew you'd come!"

"Huiqi?"

Seidou Takizawa stared at the distant figure in confusion, searching his memory for anything about him.

While everyone was still reeling from the shocking news, Huiqi swiftly reached inside his clothes and drew several Quinque daggers in succession.

Each dagger shot straight toward its target with deadly force. They hurtled through the air as though tearing it apart, their shrill whistles sending chills through everyone who heard them.

Crack, crack, crack... thud...

The daggers pierced the ghouls' heads with pinpoint accuracy, and their bodies hit the ground one after another. In the blink of an eye, every ghoul in the academy was dead.

"A bunch of A-rate trash managed to slaughter you like this? Where are the teachers who stayed behind?"

Huiqi swept a dissatisfied gaze over everyone. How could this year's teachers and students be so poor? By every measure, they fell far short of the previous graduates.

Ghouls were classified as B-rate from the moment they first manifested their kagune, and A-rate ghouls were merely a little more proficient. More importantly, the academy had First Class Investigators and Rank 1 Investigators stationed there. Their experience should have been more than enough to handle these A-rate ghouls.

"The teachers who stayed behind are all dead. Aogiri Tree ghouls appeared in the first wave of attacks..."

Akira Mado stepped out of the crowd to answer Huiqi's question. During the first wave, she had seen ghouls wearing red robes with patterns printed on their backs, exactly like those of Aogiri Tree, which had recently risen to prominence.

"Aogiri Tree?"

Huiqi frowned at Akira Mado's answer. Aogiri Tree's involvement meant this was an organized attack. Given their usual methods, other locations were very likely in trouble as well.

"Take this Quinque dagger. Once this is over, go to the Experimental Department in Ward 1 and find Jin Toka. Mention my name, and he'll give you something from my collection."

After careful consideration, Huiqi handed the dagger to Akira Mado.

He could not stay here much longer. Headquarters had probably already sent a helicopter to pick him up.

"Where else are you going? Aren't you staying at the academy? What did you mean last time?"

Instead of taking the Quinque, Akira Mado looked at Huiqi seriously and fired off three questions in succession.

"Ward 10 is under attack by ghouls. I need to provide support. Also, your father asked me to tell you to take care of yourself." Huiqi looked earnestly at Akira Mado, his tone full of concern for his junior.

Kureo Mado had made his own choices, and he had walked his chosen path for a long time. But Akira Mado should not be influenced by him. At least for now, Huiqi would guide her until she found her own answer.

"Wh... what's that supposed to mean... tell him to take care of himself! You too!"

Akira Mado stammered, as though every word required careful consideration before she could say it. Her face turned as red as a ripe apple, the blush spreading from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She looked so shy and adorable at that moment, a stark contrast to her usual cold, decisive demeanor.

Normally, Akira Mado never smiled. She did nothing but study obsessively at school and never spoke to anyone. The only person who could even count as her friend was Seidou Takizawa, who ranked second in their year.

The students behind her were utterly stunned by the sight, rubbing their eyes as they watched.

"Got it. When you become a Ghoul Investigator, don't use Kureo Mado's shoddy Quinques."

With that, Huiqi reached out and ruffled Akira Mado's hair.

Kawashima's daughter should be old enough for middle school by now.

A photograph of Kawashima and his family surfaced in his mind. When they had first become partners, they had shared a meal, and Kawashima had brought his child along.

At the time, Kawashima had claimed that his wife was working and had no time to look after their child. His own work would only get busier, so he wanted to strengthen their family bond while he could... and that was why he had brought his child to the meal.

Huiqi had merely smiled at that. Family... everyone felt the same way about them. At their first meeting, Kawashima's daughter had given him a photograph with "My father and me" written on the back.

But everything had changed after the mission in Ward 24...

Mrs. Kawashima stopped working and spent her days staring at the photograph, her face bathed in tears. Their daughter rarely smiled anymore. Sometimes, when she saw Huiqi, she would only offer a quiet greeting.

"Treasure what you have. Maybe you won't understand regret until they're gone." Watching Akira Mado's nervous expression, Huiqi spoke without realizing it.

"What do you mean?"

Akira Mado asked in confusion, a huge question mark practically hanging over her head.

"Nothing. Just don't forget what I said... don't use your father's shoddy Quinques."

After leaving her with those words, Huiqi turned and left. Headquarters' helicopter had already arrived at the academy, and he needed to reinforce the Ward 10 branch.

"Who is he?!"

"Come on, tell me!"

"You can tell he's ridiculously strong just from how he stands! And he even made you blush... come on... ow!"

Akira Mado kicked Seidou Takizawa in annoyance, her face full of haughty embarrassment. No matter how much he pestered her, she refused to answer.