The bustling street was full of cars, with honking horns and crowds of people moving about. Su Xiao walked along, holding a map in his hand.
He had arrived in the 14th Ward. Although he had previously considered visiting the café called "Anteiku," he decided against it for now. Considering the strength of the café's manager, it wasn't the right time for a confrontation. Unlike Takatsuki Sen, who was also an SSS-rated ghoul, the manager was much more skilled in combat, despite his advanced age, which had weakened his power somewhat.
Instead of seeking out the manager, it made more sense for Su Xiao to focus on exterminating ghouls in the 14th Ward. Soon enough, he located the CCG branch for the 14th Ward. As a Third-Class Investigator, he had no trouble walking in.
It was around 9 a.m., and the branch was buzzing with activity as many investigators went about their duties. Su Xiao's unfamiliar face quickly drew attention; after all, the investigators were highly alert—a result of their line of work.
"Excuse me, where can I find Investigator Shinohara Yukinori?" Su Xiao asked the receptionist, a young woman with a professional smile.
"You're looking for Investigator Shinohara? And you are?" she asked politely.
"I'm a new Third-Class Investigator, White Night. I'm here to report for duty." Su Xiao said, handing over his credentials.
After confirming his identity, the receptionist made a quick phone call.
"Mr. White Night, Investigator Shinohara is on the twelfth floor in his office. You should hurry, as he's about to head out soon."
Retrieving his credentials, Su Xiao took the elevator to the twelfth floor. Shinohara Yukinori, the head of the 14th Ward CCG branch, was a Special-Class Investigator. Su Xiao had seen him in the original story—a middle-aged man with a flat-top haircut, known for being calm and easy to get along with.
Knock, knock.
"Come in." a voice responded.
Su Xiao pushed open the door. Inside, Shinohara was adjusting his Quinque, preparing to head out.
"You're early, Third-Class Investigator White Night." Shinohara said, setting down the Quinque and gesturing for Su Xiao to sit while he searched for some paperwork.
"Let me see... Ah, here it is. White Crane family background, age 20, combat training since childhood, and combat strength rated at SSS+?" Shinohara's eyes widened in surprise as he looked between Su Xiao and the file in his hand, doubting whether he had read it correctly. He had heard that a highly capable Third-Class Investigator was being transferred, but he hadn't expected the combat rating to be so high.
It seemed the rank of Third-Class Investigator had misled Shinohara's expectations.
"Hello, Investigator Shinohara." Su Xiao greeted him calmly.
Shinohara was still digesting the information, struggling to reconcile Su Xiao's average build with the SSS+ combat strength.
"Hello, White Night. But before you officially start, you'll need to go through a combat assessment." Shinohara said, his eyes focused.
"No problem. When do we begin?" Su Xiao asked, feeling a bit more relaxed knowing that the second part of his main mission had a 20-day window.
Judging by the difficulty of the current world, Su Xiao believed his current strength, while not invincible, was more than adequate.
It seemed that the Reincarnation Paradise had intentionally chosen a less difficult world for him this time. It had tested his qualification as a hunter in the world of One Piece, and now, this Tokyo Ghoul world seemed like a reward of sorts.
After Su Xiao's question, Shinohara thought for a moment.
"How about right now? We can do the assessment here," Shinohara said, removing his suit jacket and loosening his arms.
Su Xiao understood. Shinohara wanted a direct spar to assess his strength firsthand.
"I'm ready," Su Xiao said, his gaze sharpening.
Since this was just a test, Shinohara didn't use his Quinque, and Su Xiao didn't draw [Dragon Slayer].
The office space wasn't large, so Su Xiao quickly closed the distance between them in just a few steps. With 13 points in agility, his movements were hard to track.
Shinohara immediately raised his arms defensively, but Su Xiao's aura alone made him secretly wary. Without hesitation, Su Xiao punched towards Shinohara's raised forearms.
Bam!
Shinohara staggered back two steps, his forearms throbbing.
"What a heavy punch." he thought.
As Shinohara retreated, Su Xiao followed up with a flurry of punches, hitting his shoulders, forearms, and various points on his body.
But Shinohara was no pushover, either. As a Special-Class Investigator, he was tough and seasoned. After taking a few hits, Shinohara let out a shout and swung his arm in an attempt to push Su Xiao back.
The two of them soon fell into a rhythm, Shinohara's style being solid and methodical, while Su Xiao was agile and precise, with every blow carrying a lot of force.
Bam, bam, bam!
The sound of their fists clashing echoed in the room. The more they fought, the more serious they both became. Su Xiao's foot swung out in a low arc, aiming for Shinohara's torso, but Shinohara narrowly sidestepped it.
However, Su Xiao's kick didn't stop—it connected with the corner of the desk nearby, shattering part of it.
Crack!
A chunk of the desk flew across the room, making Shinohara's eye twitch. But instead of being deterred, he seemed even more motivated. No one becomes a Special-Class Investigator without guts—facing powerful ghouls requires a certain level of fearlessness.
Just as Su Xiao's kick sent the desk flying, a sudden yelp interrupted them.
Both Su Xiao and Shinohara stopped and turned toward the source of the sound.
What greeted Su Xiao's eyes was a white-haired youth. At first glance, the figure looked more like a young girl, with a pale face, small frame, and a gender-neutral appearance.
"Shirazu, are you okay?" Shinohara asked, concern in his voice as he checked the boy's head, where a purple bruise was already forming. It seemed the flying chunk of desk had struck him.
"I'm fine, Investigator Shinohara, but why did you stop? I was enjoying the show." the youth said in a carefree tone.
The newcomer was Juuzou Suzuya, one of Shinohara's subordinates.
In fact, Shinohara wasn't just Juuzou's superior; he was also something of a guardian, looking after the boy in his daily life.
Despite Juuzou's feminine appearance, he was originally male, though his current gender could be described as "none."
Juuzou had been raised by a ghoul named "Big Madam," an SS-rated ghoul with a twisted love for young boys and a sadistic nature. When Juuzou began to lose his feminine appearance as he grew older, Big Madam crushed his male genitalia to halt the process, keeping him in a more childlike, androgynous form.
Later, during a CCG raid, Juuzou was rescued and eventually became a ghoul investigator.
His tragic childhood left Juuzou with a strange personality—carefree, unpredictable, and a mix of masochist and sadist.
After confirming that Juuzou was unharmed, Shinohara turned back to Su Xiao.
"All good. This is your new colleague, White Night. Juuzou, say hello." Shinohara said, introducing them.
"Hi there~! My name is Juuzou Suzuya. Can I slice you?" Juuzou's greeting was as bizarre as ever, earning a sigh from Shinohara. The boy meant no harm; he simply lacked common sense.
"Ha~. Little bastard." Su Xiao muttered with a smile.
(End of Chapter)
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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.