At this moment, Byakuya had arrived at the CCG branch in the 23rd Ward.
The other members of the investigation squad assigned to the 24th Ward search mission were already waiting here.
"I'm Uchiha Byakuya, a Second-Class Investigator from the 2nd Ward branch, equipped with a B rated quinque."
Uchiha Byakuya introduced himself briefly to the other squad members.
It was acceptable to mention the quinque rank in a quick introduction, but it was generally best not to reveal the quinque's name—even among colleagues.
Byakuya was still dressed in his usual black trench coat, but with an added CCG Investigator badge resembling a white dove pinned to his chest, symbolizing his official status as an investigator. His quinque briefcase was placed to the side, there was no need to carry it around constantly within the CCG offices.
"I'm Itsuki Marude, the one leading this mission. Get a good night's rest tonight, and we'll head out to the 24th Ward tomorrow. Our objective is to explore as deep as possible, CCG still has far too little intelligence on that area."
Marude gave a brief outline of the mission before dismissing the squad.
The members could either stay at the CCG branch to handle any last-minute preparations, or return to their temporary accommodations to rest.
Byakuya chose to stay at the branch for a while, using the computers to look up public information, trying to catch up on what was known at this point in time. This was, after all, ten years before the events in the original series, so his knowledge was limited.
Just as Byakuya was about to look for a public-use computer, Kureo called out to him, "Invastigator Byakuya, could I take a look at your quinque?"
In this timeline, Kureo appeared to be under 30, dressed in a black suit. He looked a little gaunt, though not as worn out as in the original story.
Seeing his interest in quinques right away, Byakuya mused to himself, 'So Kureo's obsession started this early...'
"Oh, I nearly forgot to introduce myself. I'm First-Class Investigator Kureo Mado"
Byakuya figured that showing his quinque wouldn't be an issue—it was only a B rated, after all. He'd have hesitated a bit if it were rated A or higher. But just as he was about to hand over the quinque briefcase, Kasuka approached and intervened.
"Don't worry about him. He's always been obsessed with quinques, but your quinque is a valuable tool. You shouldn't just hand it over" she advised.
Kasuka was a skilled female investigator in her thirties with slightly longer short hair and dressed in a white combat uniform. She was also the strongest member of the investigation squad, holding the title of Associate Special-Class Investigator.
"Yes, understood" Byakuya responded with a nod.
Currently, he was simply a diligent Second-Class Investigator following his superiors' orders. And in the hierarchy, First-Class and Associate Special-Class Investigators certainly outranked him.
"Oh, alright…" Kureo scratched his head awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed by his wife's interruption.
Although Kasuka was his wife, she was also his superior and his instructor back in their academy days. In fact, he had taken her last name, "Mado" after marriage. Kasuka had found the idea of changing her name too troublesome, so Kureo opted to join her family name instead. Thus, the former instructor (Kasuka) and student (Kureo) were now married.
This explained why Kasuka's rank and strength significantly surpassed his. However, Kureo's prowess later in the original storyline wasn't far behind hers.
During the events of the original series, Kureo had a distinguished record in the CCG and could have been promoted to Associate or even Special-Class Investigator. But he repeatedly declined these promotions, believing that higher ranks would restrict his freedom and hinder his revenge against the One-Eyed Owl. Tragically, his extreme obsession with quinques and hatred of ghouls eventually led to his demise in a desperate battle with Touka and Hinami.
"Invastigator Kureo, make sure you rest up. We need everyone in peak condition for tomorrow's mission in the 24th Ward" Kasuka reminded him.
In a work setting, she addressed her husband formally.
"Yes" Kureo replied, leaving reluctantly. Even though Byakuya's quinque was only B rated, it still intrigued him.
"Invastigator Byakuya, make sure you rest well too. See you tomorrow" Kasuka said before returning to her duties.
...
As the day passed, Byakuya spent most of his time eating, sleeping, reviewing available information, and familiarizing himself with the other members of the search squad.
The team consisted of over twenty investigators, with Second-Class as the minimum rank. Marude, a Special-Class Investigator, served as team leader, and Kasuka, an Associate Special-Class Investigator, was the deputy leader.
Though the team was exceptionally skilled, everyone was tense about the upcoming mission.
Each member was also required to write and submit a farewell letter—a CCG tradition for investigators assigned to high-risk missions, allowing them to leave messages for their families should the worst occur.
That night, Byakuya sat at a desk in his temporary lodging, struggling to find the right words for his farewell letter.
Since he had no family in this world, writing a farewell letter felt meaningless. After contemplating for a while, he finally penned a brief message.
'Wishing great success for Dear Kafka'
'To Sen Takatsuki'
Eto was the only person in this world Byakuya had a connection with. Since his letter wouldn't be sent to "Sen Takatsuki" or opened unless something happened to him, he decided to leave it as that.
At dawn the next day, the search team set off for the 24th Ward.
Upon entering the area, Byakuya immediately heard a prompt from the system.
[Ding! The host has completed "Quest 1: Successfully join the investigation squad and enter the 24th Ward," receiving: 10 Attribute Points!]
[Quest 1 complete. Activating Quest 2!]
[Quest 2: Repel the SSS Rated Ghoul "One-Eyed Owl"]
[Reward: 50 Attribute Points]