Ui Koori had once been the top graduate of the Ghoul Investigator Training Academy—the only member of Zero Squad to rise through the ranks of the Academy instead of being recruited directly due to half-human status.
A genius among pure humans, Ui had reached the rank of Quinx Special Class Investigator at just 24 years old, with a promotion to Special Class Investigator imminent.
"The terrain of this labyrinth favors ghouls, and they may attack at any time. While we will do our best to protect you, do not let your guard down," Ui cautioned the trainees.
"Understood."
Kanzaki Ryoma and the others nodded in acknowledgment.
Then, they descended deeper into the underground maze.
---
Encounters with ghouls were rare in the upper layers of the labyrinth.
The CCG had repeatedly scouted Ward 24's surface tunnels, especially under Arima Kishou's command. The White Reaper and Zero Squad had been slaughtering ghouls in Ward 24 for years—driving many into deeper, uncharted zones.
In fact, CCG often used this area as a training ground for rookie investigators. Most trainees were first assigned practice missions in Ward 24, typically under the supervision of senior third-class investigators.
For this reason, the upper tunnels remained relatively safe, and the mood among the group was relaxed.
It was during this period of relative calm that Ihei Shio approached Kanzaki.
"Hey, I haven't properly introduced myself yet," he said, his gentle voice carrying a hint of childlike excitement. "I'm Ihei Shio."
Shio's expression was warm and friendly, his delicate face lit up with a bright smile.
Despite his appearance, Shio was a boy—though his slender frame, light blue-white hair, and innocent demeanor could easily fool anyone into thinking otherwise.
Actually, Shio was a child.
But in half-human terms, his biological age was closer to twenty.
Half-humans developed far more quickly than normal humans, their metabolism rapidly accelerating both their growth and aging—one of the reasons for their shortened lifespan.
Kanzaki blinked. "...How should I address you?"
Calling him "Mr. Ihei" felt weird—Shio looked like a middle schooler at best.
His official investigator rank hadn't been stated in any records Kanzaki remembered, so formal titles like "First-Class Ihei" were also questionable.
"That's easy!" Shio grinned. "Just call me Shio!"
"Alright, Shio it is." Kanzaki nodded.
Despite his appearance, Shio was one of the strongest in the Zero Squad's junior trio.
In terms of confirmed ghoul exterminations, he had the highest count among his age group.
His actual combat ability was debatable, but his experience far surpassed the average CCG investigator.
[Ding!] System Notification
[Host has befriended Ihei Shio. Reward: 2 Fusion Points!]
Though Kanzaki quickly connected with Shio, the same could not be said for the other two members of the Junior Trio—Fura Sōta and Arima Yusa.
Both were quiet and reserved, and neither attempted conversation with Kanzaki.
Then, Arima Kishou suddenly raised his hand.
Everyone halted immediately.
"A ghoul has appeared."
His voice remained as calm and emotionless as ever.
Even so, he made no move to engage—his signature white Quinque case remained unopened.
Kanzaki focused ahead—sure enough, three figures lurked in the darkness of the tunnels.
Their glowing red kakugan gleamed like predatory eyes in the abyss.
Ui Koori turned to the trainees.
"You six will take them on," he instructed. "Work in pairs. If things go sideways, we'll intervene."
CCG followed a standardized pairing system—junior investigators were always assigned partners, just like Amon Koutarou was once paired with Mado Kureo.
The Yasuhisa twins naturally teamed up.
The two other boys partnered with each other as well.
This left only Kanzaki and Juuzou Suzuya.
Juuzou didn't seem to care. He had already started moving ahead on his own.
But Kanzaki suddenly called out to him.
"Juuzou," he said.
Juuzou turned, blinking.
"We're partners now," Kanzaki continued. "I'll go in first. You take the one in the back."
As he spoke, Kanzaki gestured toward one of the ghouls, the one that radiated the most hostility.
Juuzou paused for a brief moment.
Then, a wide grin spread across his face—his excitement unmistakable.
"Okay."
His voice carried a dangerous edge, his tone practically buzzing with anticipation.
For Juuzou, battle was the only time he felt truly alive.
Kanzaki launched forward first.
His explosive speed shocked the trainees watching from behind.
The force of his dash kicked up dust, his movement resembling a shadow flickering through the tunnel.
This wasn't just raw speed—this was Madara's taijutsu in action.
Juuzou kept up effortlessly, his Scorpion Quinque glinting in his grip.
Meanwhile, the Yasuhisa twins also lunged at their target, determined not to fall behind.
The final ghoul, left alone, was quickly targeted by the two remaining boys.
---
Arima Kishou and Zero Squad watched from the sidelines, ready to intervene if necessary.
Their priority was safety—if the ghouls turned out to be stronger than anticipated, they would step in immediately.
Standard CCG protocol assigned B-rank ghouls for rookie training sessions.
Ghouls classified as B-rank were the weakest capable of using kagune.
Lower-ranked ghouls—those beneath B-rank—had underdeveloped kagune or none at all, making them unfit for combat training.
On the other hand, pitting trainees against A-rank or higher would be reckless.
As a result, B-rank ghouls were the perfect balance—challenging enough to provide valuable combat experience, but not so strong as to pose significant risk.
---
Ui Koori's eyes widened slightly as he watched Kanzaki's opening maneuver.
"He's fast."
This wasn't just above average—this was absurdly fast for a rookie.
Had they actually been assigned such a high-level newcomer?
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